The labor journal. [volume] (Everett, Wash.) 1909-1976, 1911-06-09

mum, but Not Lese-A Much DIS
cussed Question Answered.
The tricky employing class opponent
Of the trade union is known through
his talk after he has spoken ten words
on the subject of uniOnsm. He has
always IAN open mind he wishes
ito speak canddly;" he has no class
preiudices." This run of professions,
however. he is sure to follow with
but" and the but" marks his get
ting ready to fire off at you law.
yer's trip you up query. lie has
mental magazine stocked with about
six butts on the labor problem; moth
ing else. for he has no desire to weigh
evidence and reach the truth. He has
heard every one of his butts" explain
ed away score of times, yet he still
uses them when he can Once in
awhile he finds labor sympathiHer
who is not prepared offhand TO put
the labor side to one of his butts
briefly and clearly, and in such "A
case. Selling his advantage, he has
trade unionism vanquished in two
minutes.
Here's Il favorte but" of this can
ny class of DIRECTORS: but never
could understand why the labor lead
ers insist on their followers getting
equal pay for unequal work. They
reduce their best men to the level OF
/ their worst"
/ That's n tangle of tortuous state
ments. tied up tight with malice pre-
/ pense. 1t forms somewhat of nuz
zle for the trade union novice to undo.
| But its knots are made up of three
fallacies, each of which, taken sep
arately. easily becomes plain:
First.-There are no labor leaders
In the sense employed in the asser-
ton. Matters of primary weight in
the policy of the union movement are
decided by the membership. demo
cratically organized. deliberations free
to all and the right of balloting equal.
Union officials are spokesman or ad-
ministrators. and. while through ex-
perience they may become advisers.
they are possessed only Of powers i'm
parted to them by their fellow mem
bers. Opponents speak of labor lead
ers' as if some divine right or des-
potic method or sorcerer's wand had
conferred on the few in the union the
magic art of debating to the many.
AS fact. responsibility as Il union
official is assumed at the price of die
tation from the ranks, sometimes ac-
companied with unjust criticism. mis-
understandings. jealousies and Earring
reminders of the election day to come.
Second-How is II that no objec-
tions to working at uniform mini
mum wage scale come from the bet
ter qualified" in union defending
their supposed interests against 1.-The
less Qualifed?" In every union the
scale is open to debate by all the mem
bers In the international unions
general vote on any question may be
asked on petition by small minority.
yet the proposition to abolish the ir-
reducible minimum Of the scale never
comes up Why? There's a poser for
the but" man. If the employing
class DIRECTORS opposition on this
point that an injury is done to the
best workers is grounded on any in
justice. intelligent wage earners suf-
fering under it might be expected to
bring it up some time. somewhere. for
adjustment. Men (and union men es-
pecially, are prone TO cry out against
injustice, The reply Is that trade I'm
ionistS have time without number con
sidered this question and have reached
common determination. This is that
employers may pay more than fixed
minimum rate. but shall pay no less.
The employers respond by usually pay
ing an equal rate to all. They see no
injustice whatever in taking their ad-
vantage of cutting down all their en-
ployees to the lowest rate which any
will accept. Strange it is that so few
of them see that justice to 1.-The better
qualified" might bring the latter vol
untary offerings from their employers
above the scale in proportion to merits.
That's the other side of the shield
The but" gag worker rarely sees it
so he pretends.
Third why II union irreducible min
imum? Several good answers are to
be given. Here is one now: No EN-
ployee is paid according to the vol
ume or value of his individual output.
He is paid according to the price which
Il competitor workman in his occupa-
ton will consent TO work for to get his
Job In the absence of Il trade union
employers play off the bids of one man
or set of men seeking work against
another. down to the lowest level pos
sible-the social cost of qualifying an
employee considered. The union. on
the other hand. restricts this cOmpeti
ton thereby stiffening the labor mar.
ket'' and establishing an enhanced
value for every employee The union
man therefore generally owes his rate
of wages In live industries to the un-
ion and not TO his individual product:
hence the letter qualified employee
knowing this fact. Is well satisfied to
take even the union minimum rate
rather than risk the variable competi-
tive rates under nonuni0niSm Under
these. he is fully aware Ills pay envel
ope would smn tell him Il less joyful
tale than when on Saturday night II
now brings him the level union scale
plus manifold forms of the square
deal in conditions of work usually I'M
known TO the nonunioniSt
Have you your answer. honest Mr.
"ButT-Samuei Gompers IN American
Federationist