United labor bulletin., 1911-08-31
HOW STEAMFITTERS
STAND IN A. F. of /.
CONTINUED from PAGE IL


which reads as follows:
The executive council of the Ameri-
can Federation of Labor shall only have
power TO revoke the charter OF an ami
lated national or international union
when the revocation has been ordered
by a two-thirds majority of regular
convention of the American Federation
OF Labor, by roll-call vote.
You will readily observe that under
this law the executive council has no
power to suspend an international union
(which carries with it the revocation OF
Its charter). The fullest limit to which
our authority extends is to make such
report ana recommendation to the forth
coming convention OF the A. f. of L., at
Atlanta, November, 1911, and this course
we shall pursue, as in our judgment tne
circumstances warrant, with the nope
that our respective executive councils
and conventions may work out an ADJUST
ment oil this and similar contentious
which will tend to retain and cement
still more the bonds of unity and fra
ternity OF ali our aInliated organizations
and members as fully in harmony as the
movement in which we are engaged will
permit.
we present to your consideration the
fact which the history OF the labor move
ment demonstrates beyond cavil OF
organizations, enforce compulsory obedi-
ence to edicts and decisions have in
variably led to a rebellious spirit result
ing in bitter conflict, relentless antagon-
isms and diSintegration. While realizing
the necessity that discipline in the labor
movement must be observed, at least TO
some degree, yet this fact is self-evident,
that the best, most enduring and advan-
tageous discipline in the organized labor
movement is that discipline which comes
with time and experience and is sug-
gested and later self-imposed. 1t is
something not yet generally understood
now perfectly sale freedom is, and this
truism applies to the administration OF
ne organized labor movement as much
as it does to any government on the face
of the earth
'Imbued with this experience and con-
ception, We have great apprehensions of
the advisability of the suspension or re-
vocation OF charters OF international
unions based upon the contentious over
trade jurisdictional disputes. We sub
nit that such contentious can better be
adjusted by the contendinS parties being
in affiliation with the general organiZa-
tions of labor than by either one or both
being in enforced suspension with their
charters revoked.
1T is a truism that a chain is no
stronger than its weakest link, and it is
also true that so long as the chain is re-
tanned intact, even its weakest link may
be strengthened. In the effort to main
tain the chain of unity among the rank
and file of the organized labor move
ment, If it is unwise to cast aside a weak
link, how much more injurious is it to
cast out the stronger?
The cause which has brought about
this contention is, first, the jurisdictional
dispute between the Brotherhood of Car
penters and Joiners of America, and the
Amalgamated Sheet Metal Workers In
ternational Alliance. The Tampa CON
vention of the Building Trades Depart
ment decided that the work in dispute
should come under the jurisdiction of
the Amalgamated Sheet Metal Workers
International Alliance. That decision
was confirmed by the department CON
vention at St Louis, 1910. Upon the
United Brotherhood of Carpenters de-
clining to yield obedience to the deci-
sion, it was suspended from the depart
ment. 1t is not our purpose to here dis
cuss the merit of the award. We find
the situation as it is; that the United
Brotherhood of Carpenters is now unat-
tached to the Building Trades Depart
ment, where it properly belongs, and we
are constrained to repeat the thought we
have already expressed, that enforced
compulsory obedience to edicts and deci-
sions have never proved either advan-
tageous or successful, and that suspen-
sion of international unions and revoca-
ton of charters, are not calculated to
harmonic existing differences, nor bring
the members of an international union
so suspended into a better frame of
mind in order that an award may be ac-
cepted by them. We urge upon the con-
sideration of your department that in
any event the opportunity to secure com
pliance with the expressed judgment of
duly constituted authorities in the labor
movement, are increased when the inter
national unions most vitally interested
are in affiliation and fellowship with the
department of which they are a material
part.
I'VE therefore recommend that the
Building Trades Department, A. f. of
L., at its first opportunity, reinstate the
United brotherhood of Carpenters and
Joners of America in full afiilation to
the department; that in the meantime
and thereafter, every effort be exerted
by that organization, the Amalgamated
Sheet Metal Workers International ALI
ance, the Building Trades Department
and the American Federation of Labor
by correspondence, conferences and by
every moral suasion within our power
to bring about an adjustment of the mat.
tiers in dispute to the satisfaction and
advantage of the organizations primarily
in interest. We assure the department
that the good Offices of the executive
council and of the American Federation
of Labor will be continued to be exerted
and renewed to assist the department
and the organizations involved to effect
a solution of the trade jurisdictional dis
pute between the United Brotherhood of
Carpenters and Joiners of America and
the Amalgamated Sheet Metal Workers
international Alliance.
I'm the second case, that is in the con-
troversy between the United Association
of Plumbers, Gas Filters, Steam Filters
and Steam Filters Helpers, of the
United States and Canada. and the In
ternational Association of Steam and Hot
Water Filters and Helpers of America,
we recognize matter of dispute entire.