Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1909-11-16
W0MEN'S TRADE UNIONS
REVIEWED IN BULLETIN

An article on The WOmen's Trade
Union Movement in Great Britain" by
katherin0 Graves Husbey. Is published
I'm bulletin No 6 Of The bureau OF la
Dor, department Of commerce and labor.
The writer gives a history Of the move
ment and discusses It's growth, the OBJ
stacles 10 Organization OF women. the
attitude OF male trade unionists, the re-
suits Of organization, and the relation
OF wOmens trade unions 20 low wages
and tho sweating system. From the be-
now known the WOmens Trade Union
league has been the most important
agency In the development Of uniOnism
among women In Great Britain. This or
members.
As regards the comparative growth Of
male and female membership In trade
unions in recent years Il is shown thar
IN lsh, which IL the frst year for which
comparative figures OF female trade union
membership are available 1te unions in
cluded women and girls as members out
OF total Of ,ao2 trade unions. the re-
male membership at that time being H.
go. or rs per cent OF the membership
OF all unions From 1855 TO 1901 the male.
membership Increased from i.ss6 ZOE to
i.76S,761. or rs per cent while the fe-
male membership rose from ll7,0D0 to 49,
*. or 10 per cent. since 1874 the per.
centage OF gains among male and female
members has been largely reversed In
1907 the organized women numbered 2Ot %
200 gain OF 5e-7 per cent over 1904. while
the Increase in male membership, al
though amounting TO 4362lO new mem
bers' represented relative Increase OF
only al per cent
Among The CHIEF obstacles TO the or
ganization OF women workers in Great
Britain have been the temporary nature
81 their occupations, low wages and low
standard OF living, class distinctions and
apathy Male trade unionistS IN the
printing trades have offered opposition
on account OF inferior workmanship and
the generally lower rate Of wages paid
10 women. II is stated. however that
in Manchester the men trade-union lead
ers are enthusiastic over tise wax accom-
plished by the womens unions through
out Lancashire. II Is difficult 20 deter
mine Just what tho opinion OF the male
trade unionist OF the present day IL IN
regard 20 tho advantages or necessity OF
unionism among Industrial women"
AZ 70 the results accomplished the
union movement has In some instances
been directly responsible for Increase Of
wages, has added successful pressure 90
ne inluatlon and furtherance Of protec-
tive Legislation. and through the women =
Trade Union league has acoomplls had
much toward tho conservation Of health
and the promotion OF safely among local
workers where little or no local Organi-
cation can Jet be effected
The woman trade uniOnists OF Great
Britain seek 10 secure the betterment
81 labor conditions through proteo-
militant mfs s''s aetio, r''e Tssv than b y
the trade unions as medium FOR
suggestion and as an aid In enforcing
the legal rights Of workers. The great
est endeavor OF the leaders AZ the pres
ent time IS 70 secure the extension OF
the board Of arbitration prerogative 10
an authoritative institution for legal de-
cision In wage disputes and the estRb-
lishment Of wages boards empowered h
a. legal minimum wage IN certain
trades.