United labor bulletin., 1910-04-01
The NON.UhlON MAN
AND HIS TROUBLES
The Unorsanized Are Fieeced at Every
Turn, While the Union Man is Happy
In the Thought That He Is Protected.
(By r. E. croskey.)

10y X. (. CroSkey.)
If a man wants to fully realize the diff
ference in the conditions of the organ
lied to the unorganized workers, there
is no better place to do it than sitting
in the State Free Employment Office
day after day. and listening TO the hard
luck" stories that are constantly being
told. This is truly the hardes. part OF
the work OF superinte nding these offices.
I know It. because the other two super
intendents. at Pueblo and Colorado
Springs. have expressed the same sent-
ments to me.
Organized workers have but a slight
realization OF the immensely better con
ditions under which they work TO what
those of the morganized workers have
TO contend with Poor pay and long
hours OF labor are but two OF the many
discomforts and disadvantages that
these unorranized laborers are afflicted
with.
It is very seldom, indeed. that union
person has any trouble getting his pay
after il is earned, and there is no such
thing as having their wages shaved,
because the union would not allow any
thing of that kind, and 1t is. therefore.
never attempted. but this Is but one OF
the many species OF petty graft that the
unorEanized workers have inflicted upon
Them. The large contracting firms that
employ many labors have system OF
bookkeeping all their own. and worker
is fortunate. indeed If he is not figured
one or two days short when his regular
pay check is handed out Then there is
The system OF hospital fees" that Is
charged up To- the mems accounts every
month. and indeed. n they only work a
few days this fee is charged them
heaven only knows what for. because
srouId "a moor fellow get hurt in the dis
charge OF his duty. 90 is to the county
hospital that he is sent; but this graft
Is So prevalent that the men accept II as
a matter OF course, In fact, think that
they would be disappointed If il was
not charged up 60 them. 1t is kind oil
pro6t and loss account in which the
nroht Is always with the boss and the
loss falls TO the worker To illustrate
this petty graft proposition that Is regu-
larry practiced and the way the men
feel about Il, | will cite an incident
that occurred few days ago, when re-
reived an order for several laborers to
work outside OF Denver The pay onered
was only 81 SO per day 10 hours work;
the usual pay FOR this work Is S2.or per
day. but II was specified In this instance
that there would be no hospital ices
charged and also no side gratis OF an!
kind Needless TO say. had no tronoie
whatever in getting the men, because
they figured that with these gratis elm
mated they would make equally as big
wages at $3.50 per day on this JOB as
they would working at $500 per day with
the usual ''trimmin's chargeH up TO
them.
Another proposition that the unorgan-
Tod are up against all the time Is that
Of loss of wages through the dishonesty
of "deadbeat' employers, and this Tea
ture is not confined to men only
,vouid surprise people TO know how eN-
,arsiye &c this beating OF domestic help
ont of their wages by the upper ten
rosidinr on Capntol Hill. The labor COM
missioner's office is kept busy hearing
complaints and collecting wages ioi
those unfortunates that are up agalns.
the society. or Industrial "dead-oea's'
There Is one clerk in the Office whose
time is taken up three-fourths OF 'ne
Hme hearing complaints OF this nature
and there is one deputy whose time Is
wholly taken up investigating these com
nlaints and collecting the money aue
these workers.
This is properly no part OF the com
missioner's duty. according to the pres
ent laws. but it has become so from
precedent established whenever laoor
Ind n commissioner that honestly triea
TO do his duty to the workers Any Oh
these commissioners will tell you that II
is seldom. if ever. that person VINO
is n member of n trades union makes ap
plieation for any assistance to get pay
due them. 1t is always the unorganized'
the people who have no means OF pro
tecting themselves. that need this as
sistance
Now. contrast this with the position
of the organized workers, and what
difference there is. The organized work
err knows before he goes to work Just
what he will receive for his days toll
and he knows that he can expect just
that much at the end of the week ana
that he will not be docked anything FOR
any fake side trimmings. and also that
Il is reasonably certain that his pay en-
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