The Spokane press. [volume] (Spokane, Wash.) 1902-1939, 1909-11-12
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By PETER POWER

BY PETER POWER
The American Federation of La
Dor, which meets in Toronto next
week, is composed of about 120 ma
tional and international unions,
which in turn have some $1,000 af-
filiated local unions, with a total
membership of approximately q
100000 men and women.
There are about 20 national or
CARNATIONS, as well as numerous
local unions, with combined
membership of close to a million,
that are not attached to the A. F.
of L. They comprise the railway
brotherhoods, the bricklayers and
masons, metalliferous miners, the
glass workers, etc. -
The federation, as such, q has lit
tie power, it being voluntary al
lance guaranteeing home iTule, or
trade autonomy to each affili-
ated body. In recent years, owing
to jurisdictional disputes between
various international unions, there
has been a tendency to increase
the power of the federation, but
the most successful of the affili-
ated organizations are inclined to
combat the Capitalization idea and
uphold the policy of noninterfer-
ence, setting up the claim that
only by the most rigid observance
of the principles of democracy and
home rule have the organizations
prospered, despite all the antagon-
isms they .have been. compelled to
face.
And the onward march of the
hosts of labor has not been over a
pathway strewn with roses, even
though it has been triumphant in
many respects. 1t has been an up
hill struggle. frequently requiring
enormous sacrifice and fighting for
every inch of ground.
The most formidable obstacle
that has been utilized to block the
advance of labor has been the So
called movement for the open shop
inaugurated about 10 years ago by
the National Association of Manu-
facturers, which secured the CO.
operation of many powerful cap
italists, public officials, educators
and other professionals.
Yet, despite many bitter strug-
giles, entailing heavy financial as
losses on both sides by wage
strikes, lockouts, boycotts and
blacklists, the unions gained in
numbers, sometimes slowly and
steadily, quite often in leaps and
bounds.
Thus decade ago the United
Mine Workers counted only $1,000
men, but today they can count bet
ter than 16 to l over the former
period, or total of 265,000 They
have had number of national
strikes, with the result that, ex-
cepting in certain districts in
West Virginia and Pennsylvania,
they have won full recognition of
the union, the eight-hour day, high
er wages and other improvements
in the bituminous coal districts.
Even the anthracite barons have
been compelled to concede partial
recognition and do business with
the union,
The International Typographical
union now number nearly $4,000.
having nearly doubled it's member
snip IN III years. This organization
refuses to recognizez the term
open shop" classifying printing
offices as union or nonunion. The
typographical unioA has probably
fought the greatest labor battle in
the present generation. In its con
test for the eight-hour day 1.-The
union spent $5,000,000; all but $780,
900 of which amount was cheerful.
ly paid by the members them.
! selves, who won the fight, while
the employers ssociation-known
as the United Typothetae of
America-which opposed the ihau-
guration of the eight-hour day, is
a wreck. The |. T. U. alsosshas a
five-year agreement with. 1.-THE
American Newspaper Pubnsltfs
association, which body INCLUDES
nearly all the great daily &neIs-
DaDerS of the country.