Wheeling majority. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1907-192?, 1910-02-17

emphatically refused to sign up. also
the regular strike breakers were en-
gagged in several strikes that were on
several railroads., packing houses.
street cars and different other shops.
SO the idea of the general lockout
was abandoned. Those present agreed
to force a partial strike and the pres
ent special detective agencies decided
to split the territory equally among
themselves.
In 1905 the National Metal Trades
Association was formed with their
members from different shops; OF
course they were not as numerous Is
today, many Of the employers e.
planning that the men working 1oT
them had certain rights to organize
or demand better conditions and 50
decided to stay out of the organiza.
ton. The National Metal Trades
Association from their Cincinnati
headquarters send out some high
salaried organizers" to impress per-
sonally by their eloquence the en-
blowers; to others who did not want
to listen to the .''silyery tongue" OF
the organizers, they brought pressure
of business, boycotted them, refusing
raw material or creating trouble
among their employees by the paid
spoilers, SO with this pressure on
they had succeeded in roptng In over
80, per cent. of metal shop owners.
Others refused to continue as mem
bers of the National Metal Trades As
ISOLATION withdrew from It. They
brought law against them; also for
feiting the heavy bond given by them
for good faith. and so this is the
famous National Metal Trades Asso-
citation that controls the industries Oh
this country.
Then the series of strikes was in
augurated in different parts OF the
country, each strike more distant
than the other, the city OF Pittsburg
being the storm center. The en-
ployes fought hard. They starved
longer. but in the end they were
beaten. l mean the trade unions.
Just think of labor. disunited,
fighting capital, united sold front
that uses the industrial club as well
as the political. for the purpose In
driving their men back to WORK IN
der conditions worse than ever.
When the Machinists were on strike,
in many instances the moulders and
the rest of the organizations refused
to 90 out with them, while the en-
ployer was thinking how long It
would take him to break the rest OF
the unions. BY this method. they
have routed the unions from their
shop. OF course there are some union
men working in the National Metal
Trade .shop-here is for instance an
example: Cleveland. big indus
trial city with hundreds OF machine
shops that ought to be good for ct
least 1900 organized machinists. l
don't know the number OF the men
that belong to the International AS
ISOLATION of Machinists; before the
1907 strike when In the same year
the general strike of machinists was
declared against the Metal Trades
shops. the claim was made that the
Association had 900 members. A fter
the National Metal Trades Associa-
ton got through with them. after
blaeklisting the leaders Of the Union.
getting even the photographs OF the
picketing captains; today In Cleve-
land the union members between ESQ
and 800 are compelled to work like
slaves being afraid to declare their
Nom bership-take for instance the
Diebold and Peters shops. located In
| Whitney Power Block building ION
their night force. consisting OF 20 ma
chinis;s, three Of them are union
men. but they are very careful to not
let anybody know Of them carrying
cards. They are afraid to breath a
Eword Of propaganda Of unionism.
| Cleveland with so many shops and
only little band o fnen organized.
Do you wonder then or ask, il some
thing is wrong with the present or
ganization. The writer has been en-
ployed in the National Metal Trades
/ Shops and also as clerk in their Of
fees, so the statement as to- facts and
conditions are from what he has seen
actual facts: Cincinnati is the frst
place l investigated. The conditions
there are all alike-to get job one
must apply at the Labor Bureau
when he is sent. out 70 that shop
that is need of hands.
Getting Job.
+, Here is this story: II went up to
ask for job as machinist helper;
after signing the application present
ed to me that did not drink. was OF
good character; that no disease had
hold Of me; the last place worked
and the reason left, also the name
of my employers for three years pre-
vious to that, not forgetting to- give
the names of three men in. business
for reference. Also in big letters, If
l ever belonged to a union!' So'what
he wanted was not machinist helper
but "sinless'' man of Spartan quail
ties to work for dollar day. Well,
really, man must feel proud after
Signing one Of those applications to
find out how good he is and. as a
laborer told me later. he hesitated
| to take the job after finding outflow
good he was but then labor is done
I BY a respectful man and the National
| Metal Trades do not want men OF
their own type and character. so they
/ insist en- respectable men, In the