The labor world. [volume] (Duluth, Minn.) 1896-current, 1912-12-14

Just subsequent to the action of the convention OF
American Federation of Labor at Rochester, N. "
the question of industrial unionis the Fresno (Cal
Republican commented editoriay upon the result The
article is carefully written and the writer displays such
intimate knowledge of the history of the trade union
movement to make the article worthy OF reproduce
ton 1t is printed under the caption, TRADE Unions
VIM, and is follows:
BY the decisive of 264 IT, the American
Federation of Labor yesterday record in favor
of trade unionism against industrial unionism Meas
ured by the actual voting strength of the unions
sented, the victory quite decisive. The vote
would be lo934 for trade unionsm and $500 for in
dustrial unionism But leaving only 2S03 of the gen.
era handicrafts against 1924 There special
conditions affecting the miners votes, which in way
eliminate them from consideration in determining the
collective judgment of labor this vital question
There three units for the organization of labor
the trade, the industry, and the class. The Car
penters' union and the Machnists union typical
trade unions The brewery workers, who put engineers
and transfers into the unon provided they both
work for brewery are examples of the second class
organized by the separate industry The printers
men, bookbnders and stereotypers examples of
intermediate class They have their separate unions
for each trade, but since they all engaged in the
industry they have allied printing trades
council to cooperate in such interests they have in
common The building trades council has the same
system larger scale The final step is illustrated
by the l. w. VS. and is the aspiration of the extreme
advocates of industrial unonism everywhere-the
ging of all Workngmen into single organization
gardess of lines of trade, industry employment. The
knights of Labor the important effort ever
made to organize the workers these lines Its
rible efficiency for the occasional emergencies
structve warfare and it's total helpessness for the
nary transactions of industrial peace served as the
warning which gave the American Federation Labor
its present dominating position And it is just that
expensive lesson which the radicals trying to COM
pei the labor world to learn all again.
The organization of each craft separately to make
its bargains while bargaining is possible, the
federation of these crafts into the allied councils of the
various industries employing several trades and the
federation of all into great central organization pro-
vides the ideal institution for both peace war;
is organized by )the various trades which must be
separately the parties to the bargains to
ments and deal continually with employers is united
in the Federation for joint action in when that be-
but the autonomous trades give their
consent to this separately by trades; when there
internal quares irregularities between trades
there central body to settle them So either to do
business to fight the American Federation is euuipped
The alternative plan trace better terrible de-
structve fighting 1t is intoerably worse for all the
constructive and business problems of the workers.