The wageworker. (Lincoln, Neb.) 1904-????, 1910-09-02
VALUE OF UNIONS
Results They Have Accomplished
For the Toiler.
THE Aa.sTocRATs OF LABOR.

Had tho Intelligence to Fight To-
esther = benefits For Organization
Clearly Proved.
Let him who questions the value OF
unionism pause to consider for mo-
ment Just one thing that unionism has
accomplished.
1t is we'll known that in the early
days of the present factory system the
days work extended usually to four
teen or sixteen hours.
This long day existed for all work
crs-the skilled and the unskilled. the
children as well as the men and wom-
en-.
The workers had not yet learned to
organize. and as individuals they were
utterly helpless to effect change In
the hours of their labor or in the scale
of their wages.
There were, of course, no laws to
protect them, and so they lived entire
" at the mercy of their employers.
The normal conditions that existed
little more than half century ago in
Engltnu anu eiSeW ueiS hiououOu' '"N
world of the factory system are equal
ed today only in certain plague spots.
When one reads the stories OF the
misery and oppression. the long hours
and low wages of those days one Won
ders how the workers managed to live
at all.
How much the condition Of the
workers generally has been improved
1t Is by no means easy to say. but we
do know that the condition of the
workers has vastly improved wherever
they have learned to value unity.
In those trades where the men have
known enough to fight for their rights
and to stand together there has arisen
what some scoffers like to call an
'aristocracy of labor"
And If in certain trades there are
indeed aristocrats of labor it is simply
because they have had intelligence
enough to fight together. to pay dues
to one organization and to battle al
ways with unity and solidarity.
And what they have done all other
workers can do.
The "aristocrats" hold no patent on
their method of action. and by acting
In the same manner all other toilers
can win all the "aristocrats" have
won.
Now. 1t Is difficult to ascertain just
how much union workers have benefit
ed by higher wages.
In that matter there Is always the
question as to the increased cost of
living. which makes difficult any com
parison Of wages here and abroad or
of wages now with those of forty
years ago.
The best one can do Is to compare
wages and hours today in one trade
that Is organized with the wages and
hours In another trade that is unor-
eanized.
This has been well done by the de-
partment Of labor at Washington. and
the figures gathered by that depart
ment show beyond dispute the enor-
nous benefits that have come to labor
a. a result Of Organization.
Consider for one moment the follow
ing facts:
We all know that the workers In tho
iron and steel trade are poorly organ
lied. and we find that the hours of Ia
Dor in this trade are from sixty to sew
enty-two per week.
The hot blast men in all parts of
the country work about eighty -four
hours per week.
On the other hand, we all know that
the stone and granite. cutters are well
organized.
When we look up the figures Of their
hours we find that they work about
forty-eight hours per week.
The bricklayers. the carpenters, the
hodcarriers. the painters, the paper.
hangers and the plumbers are highly
organized trades, and when we inquire
into the hours worked by these men
we lind that they rarely average more
than fifty hours per week.
These workers then are the aristo
Gratis Of lalor' simply hrcause they are
well united IN their trade. are Royal i,
their "rgnni..ltian Imy their dues and
hghi At common battle.
1t would he difficult to find an argu
meni in Suppur, OF uniuniSln su puten
rs this uur.
To mud one SET ot workers like tn,
stonlsutlerS working forty.eght hour,
per week and another set ut worker
III the iron aud steel trade wurkn.
eighty hours per week should ah,n. Ia
enough To convinte every tnirt III ihi
wide land VI the value ot uniou.sui.
Think Of this and then consider how
tragic 1t Is that one must actually per
suade workingmen to believe In indus
trial unity.
1t is almost impossible to believ
that any class of workers should b
blind to the value of unionism or loaf
70 suffer almost anything to achiev
II.
And what astounding evidence q
working class stupidity 1t would be
the workers Of this country shout
without a fight allow their unions I
Ia, nd hoi ri OF