United labor bulletin. (Denver, Colo.) 19??-1915, 1910-03-11
OUT OF WEAKNESS
STRENGTH SUPREME.

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The unparalleled strike of the shirt.
waist makers of New York, great as has
been the success for the girls themselves,
has its highest value as a sign of the
times. 1t promises coming victories in
other industries often regarded as fruit
less fields for labor organization. Every
leading moral and social element that
has contributed to unionizing the shirt
waist workers and the consequent bet
tering of their conditions may confident.
ly be expected to play a part in the ap-
preaching uprising of the steel workers
against the Steel Trust.
The majority of the shirtwast work
ers for years paid slight attention to the
efforts of the trade unionists among them
the case with the steel workers.
The employers of the shirtwast trade
grew over-confident, depending on their
supposed knowledge of their employees
aversion to labor organization, on the
loyalty" of their higher paid hands, and
on an inexhaustible supply of serf-like
laborers fresh from Ellis Island. That's
what the Steel Trust relies upon.
The shirtwaist girls-and men, of
whom there were 5000 among the 80 900
spontaneously at the propitious
moment took up with trade unionism and
the strike idea That's what occurred in
the anthracite coal region in 1902 with
100000 men. The same move will be ex-
pected in the steel trade when the hour
of climax is due.
Among the shirtwaist makers the most
untiring, courageous, faithful strikers
were the employees among the highest
paid, upon whom the bosses had relied as
being sealed to them by the bonds of
self-interest. What revelations CT sim
liar kind may not be awaiting the man
ayers of the Steel Trust who devised the
sham profit-sharing scheme?
The shirtwaist bosses found out that
while on strike the foreigner-in Amer
ica-knows how to strive gamely, fight
and negotiate wisely. The
Jew and the Italian joined hands. In
the great coal strike the Irishman and
the Slovak and score of other national
tiles formed American trade unions
and have stuck to them ever since. The
foreigners among the steel workers have
it in them to do the same.
The shirtwaist employers association,
by some underhand management, started
off with the New York police and petty
magistrates on it's side. Today the tables
are turned, and New York is overwhelm-
ingly backing up the girls union Let
not the Steel Trust rest on the crutch of
Pinkertonism and Injunction makers.
This country is going to see fair play,
under the law.
The shirtwaist manufacturers associa-
ton was astounded at finding out that
IL. 81
assisting the girls with cast. legal ad-
vice, and personal service.
They were equally astounded on see
ing many prominent people well placed
in life coming out in support of the poor
workers, and declaring that labor in
America must not go down to the Euro
pean level This element, whose
strength and assistance are not unknown
to strikers among the older unions, en-
braces many persons having the big
American heart and the true American
spirit. They are helping to show that
love OF our republics principles and the
stimulus to continued human progress
have their origin in every walk of Amer
lean life.
The shirtwaist manufacturers cherish
ed the foolish belief that their impover-
ished and apparently spirtless toilers
would tremble at The thought OF going to
jail or bearing the marks Of a police
bullys club. They and all the country,
learned that when going to prison be-
comes merit the candidates to gain the
distinction always rise by squads and
battalions.
The Steel Trust in prosecuting its war
against the trade unions is closing its
scattering mills to open up its colossal
states prison workshops and 'workmen's
dwellings" at Gary once upon time a
man did much the same thing at Pull
man!-American Federationist.