The labor world. [volume] (Duluth, Minn.) 1896-current, 1911-08-05
Sterling Church Man Who Stands
unequivocally For the Trades
Union Movement.
COLLECTIVE BARGAINING
EMINENTLY REASONABLE
Workers Have Right to Be Heard
in Distribution of Wealth
They Created.

Every one knows who DIR. Washing
ton GLADDEN. of Columbus, Orio, Is.
Ever since he came out so strongly
against the un-American A. P. A.
movement some years ago his name
has been a household word In every
community where honesty, humanity,
candor, ability and brains are given
the respect their combination merits.
The reverend doctor is a warm
friend of the trades union movement,
and his opinions will be accepted and
can be, safely. by members of or
ganized labor everywhere. Here are
a few excerpts, from some of his recent
articles in the Outlook.
Reasons for Unions.
Nearly every employer whom you
meet will tell you promptly. II be-
lieve in trade unions" There Is a
goodly number Of those whose works
sho what they do believe in them,
and who are seeking to enter into cor
dial cooperation with them. Most
employers, however, are apt to qualify
their confession Of faith by some
such phrase as this, when properly
organized and managed" There
seems to be something wanting in
such a confession. Would a man say,
Il believe in the family, when proper
lv constituted and conducted,' or
II believe in democracy, when prop
erly organized and managed"
The Typical Employer.
The typical employer of today (the
only employer known to most work.
ingmen )is not human being, but a
great corporations; and the typical en-
ploye (the only employe known to
most ernpioyers> is g. unit, of labor
force, which may be numbered rather
than named. ...
Collective: bargaining. ~
No one can intelligently say that lie
approves Of trade unions unless he
approves of giving to the men who are
organized in them the right Of deal
ing, through their representatives, on
equal terms with their employers,
concerning the wages they shall re-
ceive, the hours they shall labor, and
the conditions under which their work
shall be done.
demand of the unions-that they
shall have the right, collectively,
through their chosen representatives,
to bargain with their employers about
wages and conditions Of labor? Is 1t
a reasonable demand? 1 think that
it ID eminently reasonable and just
that no fair-minded employer ought
for one moment to question it.
Discovered Long Ago.
The workingmen found out, a good
while ago, that the only possible way
OF preserving and enforcing their
right of contract in the sale of their
labor was by uniting together and in
sisting on collectively bargaining with
their employers. If the capitalist
managers one thousand or ten thous-
and employees unite in presenting theil
demands. they may succeed in getting
some attention to them. BY unior
and organization they may keep them
selves from being reduced to a posi-
ton of dependence and servitude, an6
may establish their right to a share
in the wealth created by their Rbo1
and voice in the distribution of tht
product Of industry.
A Perilous Contention.
If anything Is clearly written in thu
book Of destiny. 50 far as it's page!
have thus far been turned over, it II
that democracy Is going to complet,
itself.
It is we'll. therefore, for our cap
tains of industry to consider careful,
what may be involved in their refusa
to recognise or tolerate the onl.
method by which the workingmal
can assert and maintain his rights
1t is a perilous thing, as history shows
to deny the manhood of the common
Position of the Church.
ITO the toilers Of America and t
seeking to lift the crushing burden
o. the poor. and to reduce the hard
chips and uphold the dignity of labo,
this church sends the greeting o
human brotherhood and the pledge o
sympathy and of help In caus
which belongs to all who folio,
Christ"
ARKANSAS STATE FEDERATION
LITTLE ROCK, Ark, Aug. 9Th
legislative committee Of the Arkansa
State Federation Of Labor did splend
Id service for the movement durin
the recent extraordinary session &C
the state legislature. Through its e1
forts an employers liability bill wa
enacted, law compelling attendanc
: Of children under 16 years Of age q
least one-half Of the school ter,
Give counties being excepted), an
also allowing school districts to e1