The labor journal. [volume] (Everett, Wash.) 1909-1976, 1911-02-03
The CLOSED SHOP j..
Places Capital and Labor Upon
an Equal Footing.
VALUE OF ORGANIZATION.

Increases the Wageworkers' Power For
Regulating Conditions of Toil-The
Open Shop Means Dependence,
Weakness and Poverty.
BY the CLOSED shop or union shop
is not meant that the unions Shall
manage the situation in few indus
tries scattered here and there over the
country, as we now have in the build
ing trades, the printing shops, the
foundry shops and Il few others
These are but pioneers in a great
movement. And even in such an in
complete and fragmentary state of or
ganization as labor is at the present.
only 10 per cent, | am not able to find
single case in which the fact that
labor is completely organized in any
particular trade is inimical to the in
toreStS of the wage ealners at work in
that particular industry. But even if
such a case exists it does not follow
that the evils now incident to union
shop would continue under a univer-
that labor associations. maintaining Il
closed shop under present conditions.
are forced to resort to measures which
would be altogether unnecessary if
they had the aid and support of the
whole wage earning class. The prac-
tice of carrying organization to its log
ical completeness is based upon deep
principle. 1t is the element of unity
in modern life. But so long as labor
is divided against itself it must reap
the fruits of disunion.
Indeed, the wonderful growth and
development which labor has achieved
through organization in the last decade
with the many obstacles which have
bisected its path have scarcely had
their parallel in history. The problems
which have presented themselves to
such men as Gompers and Mitchell
have been numerous and intricate.
With one hand they have successfully
gained concessions from capital. Ere
Juently, however, they have been fore
ed to resort to the instruments of war
the strike and the boycott which at
lines have been precluded only by the
employers lockout. With the other
hey have grappled with the problem
Of disunion among their own mem
5ers. Out of such homogeneous condi-
ions the laboring class is being mold
ed into a homogeneous unit.
This centripetal force, drawing men
Of a common state and those destined
to Il common fate into Il unity of &c.
ton for the purpose of securing mu-
tual benefits, is Odiously styled the pol
Icy of the CLOSED shop" But it sim
ply means an organization of organi-
cations, Il union of unions, national,
state and local. Certainly every wage
Garner should be Il member of that
union which deals directly with his
own craft. And out of the different
trade unions in any given industry
should be formed an industrial union.
These would serve as a foundation
upon which to build the superstruc-
ture of q more perfect organization,
embracing every trade and labor asso.
citation, including all grades of arti-
sans, skilled and unskilled, and bring,
ing together labor in whatever form il
may be found.
There are some today who contend
1t is better for the wage earning class
to work in an open shop" and live
under rules and regulations made in
the employers office, where labor is
not represented. The same spirit
which animated the American colo
nists to take up arms against the Brit
ish crown is the same spirit which is
causing the laboring class to fight fol-
the control of labor,
The open shop" means that the