The labor journal. [volume] (Everett, Wash.) 1909-1976, 1909-09-03

ouiilllcl inc SeCIeJdIy VI IHe Washing
ton State Federation of Labor, in an
effort to secure greater number of
affiliations with the state organization
has been conducting voluminous cor
respOndence with the international and
national officers of the various organiza-
tion5, seking their support in cam
paign for closer and more extended
affiliation of local unions with both the
State Federation of Labor and the City
Central Councils. In almost every in
stance the international officers heartily
approved all possible means for closer
Iaffiliation, and extracts from their let
ters will be published in these articles
from time to time to show the approval
thus expressed.
Starting out with an affiliated mem
bership of local unions at the Walla
Walla convention of the Federation, a
number approXimatng the total number
affiliated with the central bodies, it
was realized that there were many or
carnations IN the various trades which
had yet to learn the duty and need of
Iaffiliating with both city central coun-
ellis and the state federation, for it is
estimated there are not less than 300
possibly 100 bona fide trades unions
in the State of Washington, and all of
these should belong to the city and
state councils and federations.
The Denver convention of the Ameri
can Federation of Labor held last year
realized the crying need of closer af
filiation ana i'll an effort to secure it
adopted as an amendment to the consti
tuition the following;
Article XI, Section 2: 1T shall be
the duty of all national and interna
tional unions affiliated with the Ameri-
can Federation of Labor to instruct
their local unions to join chartered cen
trail labor bodies, departments and state
declarations in their vicinity where such
exist. Similar instructions shall be
given by the American Federation of
Labor to all trade and federal labor
unions under its jurisdiction"
In correspondence with the national
officers of each organization this law
of the American Federation of Labor
was quoted and the officers asked to
comply with it by aiding in the work
of securing affiliation of locals with the
state federation. Some of the replies
are reproduced below, together with
other information regarding the various
trades concerned.
One of the first organizations ad |
dressed was the United Garment Work
ers of North America, whose general
secretary replied to the secretary of the
Washington State Federation as fol |
lows:
81 beg to assure you that l will give
every assistance which lies in my power
to have the local organizations in
Washington affiliate with the State
Federation of Labor, and we are so ar
ranging our constitution that it makes |
it compulsory on the part of the local
unions to affiliate with the central
bodies and state federations."
There are three local unions of the
United Garment Workers in the State
of Washington. OF these one is af
filated with the state federation and
two are not. The affiliated local is !
No. II, of Seattle No. pol, Tacoma, and
No go. Aberdeen, have been invited |
to affiliate.
Another international organization
which has but three local unions in this
state is the International Brotherhood
of Bookbinders. It's secretary treasurer,
James w Dougherty, of New York, !
writes:
'Your letter in reference to the al !
filiation of our local unions came duly |
to hand, and | am willing to give such
assistance as can in this work. |
will write to each of these local unions
and ask that they take up membership
with You at an early date. | trust this
will be satisfactory"
DR.. Dougherty's help resulted in the
utilization of the Tacoma local on
August H. The Spokane local and the
Seattle local have been invited to at
filiate.
From President c. J. Folsom and See
rotary Treasurer w. f. Willis, of the
international Shingle Weavers' Union,
an organization having its international
headquarters in the Labor Temple at
Seattle. in our own state, comes this
hearty reply:
I'VE most heartily endorse the A. +.
of L. constitution and the efforts be
ing put forth by the Washington State
Federation of Labor TO increase its
number of affiliations. Any assistance
we can give you in this matter will be
gladly forthcoming
Twenty six local unions of this or
ganization are located in this state, The
present affiliations with our federation
include the locals of the Shingle Weav-
ers in Everett. Olympia, Snohomish,
Arlington, Maehias, Seattle, Edmonds.