The labor journal. [volume] (Everett, Wash.) 1909-1976, 1912-08-02

TELRY.
When you have exhausted all honor
able effort, to settle a grievance between
organized labor and AN employer of
labor have met him with committee
after committee, offered to compromise
demands, and that employer still re-
mains obdurate, what are you going to
do? Call the fight off, continue a half
hearted campaign against him or center
your forces in Il swift, sharp attack
against his business? Obviously you
must do one Of the three things
We have in mind the Hotel Mitchell
controversy. There is no reason why
thi, concern should be on the Unfair
List save the obstinacy Of the pro-
prietors The union involved has offered
all concessions any organization could
make and still retain a vestiage of self
respect in an effort to re-establish annie
able relations. Everett bears the reputa
tion of being a city in which organized
labor is strongly entrenched and yet the
hotel management is able to bid defi-
ance to all efforts at conciiiatiou and
has done so successfully for long time.
Why? Is it because of the apathy OF
organized labor or because the house
caters to a class of trade the unions can
not reach?
1t IS not a question Of wages. There
is just as competent and trustworthy a
class of skilled help within the union
ranks as could be possibly found out
side Neither does the union assume the
role of an absolute dictator in the af,
fairs of the house
A few weeks since i committee from
the culinary crafts met Mr.. Gardiner,
the local representative of the Mitchell
brothers Mr.. Gardiner received the
committee very courteously and the con-
ference was friendly throughout. The
union representatives, were asked to state
Just upon what basis they would agree
to a settlement and remove the hotel
from the list of unfair houses. The
boys finally agreed to reduce the whole
thing to paper and submit it and Mr.
Gardiner promised to bring the written
proposal to the consideration of the three
trustees of the property. just recently
the Mitchell brothers through MIR. Gardi-
ner notified the union that their present
attitude toward the hotel employees
would remain unchanged.
Now there must have been something
very unreasonable in the proposition
submitted by the union to call forth such
reply or else the management must
stand convicted of open hostility toward
unionism. The union submitted three
requests. Judge for yourself. if taken
singly or as a whole, there was anything
to which a fair-minded employer could
object. First, that white cook should
replace the japanese cook then en-
ployed; second that no hindrauce should
be placed in the way of any Of the white
help Joining the union; third, that as
fast as any of the help quit or We're dis
charged that the union be given the
preference to fill vacancies. Note that
the union did not attempt to say when
a person should be discharged nor what
for nor who should be hired. If help
wasn't satisfactory the management had
the right to discharge and if the union
couldn't furnish satisfactory help it
waived the right. 1t only asked to be
given the first chance to furnish COM
petcnt help. The employment Of Jap
anese of course could not be considered.
1t was fair and just that the help should
be given an opportunity to join the un-
ion if they chose to. Everybody con
eedes that right except confirmed union
haters
We're these demands unreasonabie2
Very mild, weren't they? They've been
turned down cold What remains to be
done2 Quit the fight? Hardly Make
it effective. How? BY giving people
plainly TO understand that if they pat
ronize the house they will incur the DIS
pleasure of organized labor and that
they will be very apt to feel it in their
own line of business That's boycottinc,
isn't it2 Sounds like it. Crude ana
barbarie! Maybe, but it is the most ell
fective weapon and in some aggravated
cases the only weapon labor has wi5h
which to fight its battles Furthermore,
it is weapon that nine-tcnths OF rs
use, whether we are conscious of it or
not, every day of our lives Some bust
ness and professional men may squeal
but they can hardly expect TO take uuioa
money and then turn around and spend
it with people who are fighting organized
labor. Every time your tradesman or
your doctor or your lawyer drops a dol
lar into the till of the Hotel Mitchell
he is picking it out of your pocket. Tell
him about it and ask him if he thinks
it is quite fair.