The labor argus. [volume] (Charleston, W. Va.) 1906-1915, 1909-05-27
MARK OF EXCELLENCE
What the Union Label Means to
the Buyer of Goods.
BEST OF ITS KIND TO BE HAD.
Symbol Assures Purchasers That the
Work Has Been Done Under SAM
tary Conditions-Stands For Better
Wages and Shorter Hours.


Addressing the conference held at
Washington to form the union label
department of the a. f. of L., Samuel
Gompers said in part:
l have no fear of the outcome for
our labor movement Our movement
will not be dissolved either by the
powers Of the government or by the
combined activities of the Van Cleave
forces. There is vitality i'll the la
Dor movement which no power can
dlSSlpate or crush. Our organized
movement has done so much for the
uplift of our people that it is engraved
In the hearts and minds Of the work
ers OF our country, and no amount Of
judicial Interpretation or executive an
tagoniSm or capitalistic war of eX-
termination will more than bruise the
much abused labor movement.
But there Is an important field Of
activity among the workers of our
country which We should not neglect
This conference is called to give its
attention to another branch Of that
same movement. We are here to de-
wise the best methods OF appealing to
the Intelligence and the sympathy Of
the general public, who may not be
classed in the category Of wage earn
ers, that they in the exercise Of their
purchasing power may aid and coop
crate with us and may have an OPP
pOrtunity Of knowing from US direct
that our hallmark, our union la
bel, is upon certain goods and what
that means. We want the public to
know that the product which our I'M
ion label covers is the best Of it's
character and kind that can be had:
that union label goods are made I'M
der better conditions for the workers.
as to wages, hours and sanitary con
ditions, than nonunion products; that
our hallmarks, the union labels Of
our organizations, stand for higher
and better things than mere trade
mark.
The TACT that so many of the union
labels of our organizations are imitat
ed and counterfeitcd demonstrates be-
yond question their value. 1t is said
that imitation is the highest form Of
hattery. and imitation Of our union
labels the counterfeiting Of them, is
q nattering Endorsement Of their real
value. So far there have been few
adverse judicial decisions regarding
our union labels. The almost uniform
legal opinion has been to maintain the
right Of the labor organiza tons against
imitators and cOunterfeitcrs and those
who misuse the union label.
This work OF union label agitation
has been carried on with marked cf-
feet and influence for good. We have
already done much in that direction.
Our various organizations issuing
union labels have done much on their
49, =
| Of the union labels. They have Great
ed Il greater demand for union labeled
goods, for union label cards.
The American Federation of Labor
has helped in that work 1t has helped
in the general advertising and promo
ton of the labels; 1t has helped to
reach the public conscience and the
large number of men and women who
are not chased as wage earnerS; it
has published series of articles and
paid prizes for the best essays: also
pamphlets by the hundreds Of thou
sands. and so has disseminated infor-
| nation for the better understanding
of this question by the public. !"
l believe we can do wonderful work
! by the esta blishment Of Il department
organized Tor the purpose Of more uni
form, effective agitation. to create
greater deilHnu Tor union Ia Deled
goods l would not want the men and
women of labor to place their full re-
lance and absolute hope in the union
label itself
After all, the effectiveness of the
union label depends upon the work
done by others rather than upon the
work done by ourselves. We must CO.
operate In our action, In our conduct
in our work; we ought to reciprocats
IN every way we possibly can. That is
the work for the agitation of the I'M
ion label, but We must bear this in
mind: In the labor movement the first
source of our success is reliance upon
ourselves to build up our organiza-
tons, to make them effective, to place
them In position to take advantage
of every opportunity to protect and
advance the interests of our fellow
workers. I don't want you for a mo-
ment to suspect that there is any de-
Walton from the splendid work al
ready accomplished. but in union label
agitation we must never forget We
Will have to depend upon ourselves in
the first and possibly in the last in
stance in initiating and carrying on
the work.-Ainerican Federationist