The labor argus. [volume] (Charleston, W. Va.) 1906-1915, 1909-08-05

competition it likes. 1t will see to it.
are idle for long enough periods to sharp
en- competition for work.
And who will profit by this system
The trust, and nobody else.
The trust cannot, and will not guar
antee any one stcadicr work 1t must
then further follow that the net yearly
earnings of the men will be less and
the trust will have the difference in its
pocket. BY such 4 policy of cut-throat
competition the trust hopes to escape the
public odium attendant upon wage reduc-
lions by having its idle, intimidated en-
ployees petition for an opportunity to
work at the trust 8 terms, and at the
same time have uniformed business com.
munities credit to philanthrophy, acts that
were prompted by greed
FALSE PROMISES
With glittering promises of steady en-
ploymcnt and better jobs the trust hire
Ines are endeavoring to get men TO on.
crate it's sheet and tin mills Irving 10
get men to volunteer to serve the trust in
the capacity of clubs 10 beet down treir
fellow-workmcn and themselves Tn.
trust is trying to subsidizc. and to brib,
men to assist it in its efforts to reduce
more of it's employees to serf.lom nr
peonage. Too many men have eaten OF
the bread of Dead Sea fruit that the
trust has given for like services in the
trust $ brides are being spurncd bv all
except incompctcnts and professional
strike breakers.
The trust has only one hope left. rLc
men in non-union mills.
with an over-wcaning confidence in its
ability to deceive and dupe them once
more the trust now depends on the men
in the non union mills to assist it in ror.r-
ing the shackles of industrial slavery on
those who are struggling to be free
NON-UNIONIST' s STRUGGLE.
This is the most important controversy
that the sheet and tin workers of the
United States have ever engaged in. TO
none is it more important than to the
men who have, and are working in the
non union mills of both trust and indie
pendent. For ii number of years the
men employed in the non-union mills of
the trust have been satisfied to accept a
lower wage rate than that prevailing in
the union mills The working conditions
nave been much inferior to those in the
union mills. The men in the nou-union
mills have apparently accepted these
wages and conditions believing that they
were in large measure repaid by reason
of the stcadier employment they received.
The trust S program would change this
situation. The trust s program will put
the men in the nonunion mills on the de
fensivc from the viewpoint of competi-
ton. The trust wants all mills to be
non union. Those that are now onunion
would then be on uniform non-union
basis with all other mills. and would be
able to operate steadily only in keeping
within the ability of the employees to
survive in the cut-throat competition that
the trust wants to maintain between its
employees
Those conditions that the non-union
certain conditions are to be swept away
if the trust s will prevails; and with
them Will go much of the wage rate to-
gether with manhood and independence
The non-union men are therefore on
the defensive and must assert their right
of selfdefense.
This is the sheet and tin workers
struggle for existence as elf-respecting
crafts. Each is mutually interested with
the other. Their efforts should be mu-
tual and concerted. Their slogan should
watch-word should be unity, the watch
word of nations. of progress, of civiliza
ton itself. They should apply the rem
edy. Organize, Organize, Organize.