The labor journal. [volume] (Everett, Wash.) 1909-1976, 1911-11-24
A RIGHT OF LABOR
That of Placing a Value on Its
Own Possessions.
FREE AND FAIR BARGAIN.
True Aim of Trade Unionsm Is to
Convert the Employer From the Idea
That He Controls the Personal Bust
ness of the Employee.

Convert the Employer From the Idea
That He Controls the Personal Bust
ness of the Employee.
Here's noteworthy psychological
phenomenon. A business mau sets out
to buy products from a second bust.
ness man He haggles with him over
price and quality. comes to terms with
him, buys what he wants and then
has good dinner with him, the two
conversing amicably But the prod.
ucts not being finished for his market,
being In fact only the raw materials
for his mandatory, the buyer next
has recourse to third business man,
who also has something for sale. The
sonnet hing is locked up in the third
mans skill for moving thingSthat is.
in his physical and mental powers In
other words. the development of his
faculties as worker represents at
any given stage of his life combina
| ton OF personal activities. Il concrete
potentially for output. resultant on
his growth in mind and body But
does business man No rs Il matter Of
course sit down amicably on terms of
equality with business man No and
| bargain and agree on terms and wind
up the transaction with convivial din
ner?
If he does not. why not? Why should
he not? Wherefore any difference in
approaching The two transactions? The
answer is, ii is all matter of a psy-
chology
Put aside the traditions of property
versus labor, the advantages of one
who has wealth over one who has lit
tie or nothing. the power of rich en-
| ployer to dictate to poor employee. and
you introduce II new psychology into
| this situation as between No. | and No
g. The moment that in any occupa
| ton the No 3's put themselves per
force into the category Of the No. IS
the No. Is undergo moral, spiritual
and withaI practical change The No
| Is are then able to see that the No
3's are in business as well as them
selves
Given very wealthy and indie
pendent No, | who must have the
| business cooperation of self reliant
and equally independent No. 3-or or
ganization of No. 3's-and the psyche
| logical transformation Is effected in
him instantaneously by the circum-
stance must. The order of business
becomes Immediately one of free and
| fair bargain. of equality in negotia
ton, with common desire for agree
ment. usually followed by success in
coming to terms. and then perhaps
follows dinner. with a better under
standing.
Upon finding No as independent
as No. 2 1t could never occur TO No
that he could charge No 3 of "hostili
ty to my business" for plainly stating
what value No. puts on his own pos
sessions (his labor power,. what time
per day he would consent to devote in
| delivering them and what protection
| to his health and what Insurance as
to safety must be guaranteed him
| These points would come up as be
tWeeu SeHtieiueu uS h''tci VI
| course.
| Thus it Is seen that true and pro
| found aim of trade unionism is the
conversion of the employer from the
superstition that the jurisdiction of
his business extends over into and en-
velops the proper personal business Of
| the employee. AS fact. ii did so
pass over for many long year, but
never Justly 1t did so when No. 3
was slave and No, was owner, when
| No. was serf and No. | was master
and when No. 3 was a nonunionist and
| No. I said: Come. Go, Work twelve
hours n day seven days II week.
Moreover. you'll take what wages
| think you are WORTH
| The human mind is prone to shut it
self up in the dark depths of selfish
ness. Light usually comes to it only
necessity SO long as the No. is OF
this world had things their own way
| they thought that they themselves We're
rightfully the only wieldtrs of power
| as owners of 1.-The whole business.
| They grow out of this unreaSon now
ndays just as the No SIS gain Il coun
| ter force to theirs and n sense of pro-
prietorship in what truly is their own
| share of the business-th their labor. their
| bodies. their will, their right to bar
| gain.
| Illustra lions of this truth are fire.
| quently seen when union wins in a
contest with an employer who has been
mistaken on this point of his property
his investment and his own labor
being the whole business He Is usual
| ly glad when the trouble is over to re
sumo his part of the business-after
| the employees have decided to resume
their part. He then knows that In the
| business of buying and selling labor
| there are two sides concerning two
sets of business men He may even
remember that before the late unpleas
antness he had been guilty of hostility
TO his employees business. They were
obliged TO teach him the difference be-
tween what was his and what was
| thairs = A merfcan Eadernt ioniSt