The wageworker., 1910-04-29
WORKMEN, ORGANIZE!
The Trades Union Is Necessary
to Your Well Being,
A CALL FOR MEN OF ACTION.

A CALL FOR MEN OF ACTION.
Unity Of Effort Is the Only 'Reaoures
Of the Wasewor<er to Protect and
Promote His Rishts-Be True to the
Union Label.
The need of general organization
of labor. skilled and unskilled. is the
theme of au editorial in the American
Federationst by Samuel Gompers.
Here is Mr.. Gompers' call to action:
To work. then: Let every trades !
union in the American Federation of
Labor. every International. national
and local organization make an ex-
traordinary effort this year to absorb
In its ranks all the workers of it's oc-
cupation. Let our movement to this |
end be concerted. cooperative and en-
thusiastic.
We urgently request the officers of
every affiliated trades union to issue
a special circular to their members, in
forming them of the fact that all the |
organizations of the country have be-
gun strong pull. long pull and a
pull all together for the purpose of de-
veIoping our labor movement speedily
in all parts of the country. in every
calling The local unions in the vari-
GUS communities are invited to re-
double their efforts this year in organ
tzing all the wageworkers within their
possible reach. irrespective of craft.
Individual members Of trades unions
are asked to endeavor on all possible
occasions to advance the cause of
trades unionism. especially inducing
the unorganized men they meet to join
the union that is open to them. If
each member of the union would take
upon himself the obligation to bring
one man into the fold of unionism the
result would be an enormous impulse
in the desired direction.
Every union in the jurisdiction of
the American Federation of Labor is
also urged to appoint label commit
tee whose duty shall be to advocate
the purchase OF union made products
and to wait upon merchants and re-
quest them to have on sale the prod
ucts of union labor. bearing wherever
practicable union labels
The trades union is u necessity
to the modern wageworker. BY it's
means only can he protect himself
against the aggressiveness of hostile
employers and secure rates of wages
and conditions of employment COM
mensurate with the constantly grow
ing demands of civilization.
The wageworkers have no other re-
source for common defensive purposes
than the trades union.
1t is now generally admitted by all
educated and really honest men that a
thorough organization of the entire
working class. to render employment
and the means of subsistence less pre-
carious and to protect and promote
the rights and liberties of the workers
by securing an equitable share of the
| fruits of their toll. is the most vital
necessity of the present day.
| In the work Of the organization Of
labor the wisest. most energetic and
devoted of us. when working individ-
ually. cannot hope to be successful,
but by combining our efforts all may
succeed.
At no time in the history of the labor
movement has the necessity for the
organization Of all wage earners and
the federation of their organizations
been SO great as at the present time.
No particular trade can long main
tain wages much above the common
level. and no particular locality can
sustain wages for any length of time
above the wage of another locality.
To maintain high wages and nor
NAL workday all trades and callings
must be organized and federated To-
cally as well as continentally.
The lack Of organization among the
unskilled vitality affects the organized
skilled. The general organization of
skilled and unskilled can only be ac-
complished by united action.
1t is the duty as it is also the plain
interest Of all working people to or
ganize as such. meet in council and
take practical steps to effect the unity
of the working classes as an indispen-
sable preliminary to any successful at
tempt to eliminate the evils of which
we as a class so bitterly and justly
complain.
All wageworkers should be union
men. Their progress is limited only
by those who hold aloof. Get together.
agitate. educate and do!
1t is true that single trades unions
have at times been beaten in pitched
battles against superior forces of unit
ed capital. but such defeats are by
no means disastrous. On the contrary
they are sometimes useful in calling
the attention of the workers to the
necessity of, thorough organization. and
federation. of the inevitable obligation
Of bringing the yet unorganized work
ers into the union. of uniting the hith
erto disconnected local unions into ma
tional and international unions and OF
effecting yet higher unity by the al
fliafiOn Of all national and intQrna