The labor journal. [volume] (Everett, Wash.) 1909-1976, 1910-01-14
MUTUAL PROTECTION
Labor Called to Resist Steel
Trusts War on Unionism.
TO FIGHT OPEN SHOP RULE.

Workers Asked to Contribute.
war was formally declared upon the
United States Steel corporation by
leaders of organized labor throughout
the United States aAd Canada at the
recent conference at Pittsburg. which
was presided over by Samuel Com
pers. The grievances Of organized la.
Dor against the steel corporation as
set forth in n resolution have been for.
warded to President Taft and the
! United States senate and house of rep
resentatives. The governors of the
states in which the trust owns plants
or has interests will also receive copies
The resolution says In part:
| "A crisis in the affairs of labor has
arisen. The gigantic trust. the United
States Steel corporation. is using its
great wealth and power in an effort to
rob the toiers Of their right of Amer.
lean manhood and Of the opportunity
to resist its further encroachments.
| Grown rich by the consent Of the
people Of our country, this corporation
in Its mad greed for still greater riches
sweeps aside. makes and unmakes law,
| its enactors and executors, and is now
engaged in an effort to destroy the
only factor. the organizations Of its
employees. standing between it and
unlimited, unchecked and unbridled
Industrial, political, social and moral
carnage.
IF there exists any virile power In
our time and life to check the abso-
lutte autocratic domination of civic, in
dustrial and political life of our people
and our republic it must be found In
the indomitable will and mission of
the much misunderstood and misrep-
resented organizations of labor.
The United States Steel corporation
has declared war Oh labor. In its Sc
cret councils this corporation has de-
creed that the only obstacle to its COM
plete sway, organized labor, shall be
crushed. The labor organizations con-
sist of its employees the workers, their
wives and little ones. human flesh and
blood. 1t is by their labor that they
live. They have no purpose other than
safeguarding their lives, their charac-
| ter, their future, the safety Of the re-
public and humanity.
"These factors now confront each
other. By their purposes, attitude and
actions must they be judged.
ION June l, 1909, the United States
Steel corporation proclaimed its decree
of hostility toward labor. The right
of the workers to associate for their
common protection was no longer to be
recognized or tolerated.
Accompanying that decree was a
notice of further reduction in the al
ready scant wages of the workers
The decree went into effect July l.
1909.
I'VE therefore urge that an earnest
effort be made to thoroughly organize
all employees in the iron, steel and tin
plate industry and subsidiary corelat-
ed trades.
lowing to the immediate pressing
necessity caused by the present strike
and the indefensible hostile attitude
of the United States Steel corporation
we earnestly call upon all national and
| International unions of America to
send at least one organizer TO assist
| in this work. We further urge and
recommend that in all places where
mills are located the central labor or
CARNATIONS appoint special committees
with instructions to cooperate in this
| LNnr adIt.atinnat nnrpOSpS we
recommend that this manifesto be
made special order in all central
labor organizations at the first meet
ing in January, 1910
I'VE recommend that the executive
council of the American Federation OF
Labor issue circular TO all unions OF
America appealing for financial con
| tributions to aid the striking iron, stee
| and tin plate workers. We further
| recommend that the amount OF such
/ contribution should not be less than II
cents per member
ain view of the great wrongs perpe
/ trated by the United States Steel cor
poration, not only against the workers
but the public generally. we recon
mend that committee be appointed
! by this conference to wait upon the
president of the United States, thu
! president of the United States senate
the speaker of the house of represent
atives and such members of eithe
house OF congress as may be deemed
advisable for the purpose of laying
4 before them the grievances from whicl
labor suffers at the hands of this cor
1 poration.
"At the instance of the United state
I Steel corporation officers of local, mu
nicipa and state governments hav
unwarrantably tyrannized over cit
zens. invading the CONSTITUTIONAL
guaranteed right of free assemblag
and free speech.
1--WE. recommend that committees b
appointed by this conference to wal
upon the governors of states and sue
/ other official representatives of cour
ties aud municipalities as are in cor
troll where the United States Steel col
poration has plants located for tn
purpose of presenting to these official
the great wrongs inflicted upon tn
people of these communities and tina
the committees demand an investiga
tion and where charges made are sui
stantiated by evidence the officers re
sponsible therefor be removed and tn
wrongs Immediately righted.
I'VE appeal TO all liberty loving
Americans for their moral and fnan
cial support"