United labor bulletin., 1912-06-20
ONE INDUSTRY; ONE oN-INDUsTRIAL
UNIONISM.

IN Wnlcn tney nolu IHcHeDIsmp, put ic",
any, to date have made industrial unionsm the
issue.
The United Mine Workers of America, year
or so ago. had as its issue the Civic Federation, and
took action against John Mitchell for his member
ship therein, and he resigned from the federation
The International Association of Machinists made
like issue in the campaign against President y Con-
NELL and defeated him for reelection after many
years of faithful service.
The so-caed progressive element in the Inter
national Typographical union made the g 'Wahneta" "
or alleged secret organization within the organiza-
tion issue against James NJ Lynch IN the recent
election, and he won by only few thousand votes
Pressmen in different localities have petty
grievances of their own arising from lockouts,
strikes and wage disputes, and these members are
making these grievances cause for action against
President George Berry of that organization with
eye single to his defeat
In other organizations the members becom-
ing restless. They seek through utterance in one
way another to express dissatisfaction with the
administrations of their unions affairs.
And the trades unions throughout the country
are asking one another: ..Why is Sam Gompersf'
The trades unionists asking another what is
the matter They expect some initiatory step to be
made by the head of the American Federation OF
Labor that will relieve the situation put the diff
ferent organizations into position whereby they will
be able to fight winning fight against the combined
capitalists of the different industries. There is at
present much dissatisfaction with the head of the
A F. of l.. 1t is believed and argued that younger
and more progressive man should fill the Office of
president of that organization.
No organized progressive movement has yet
taken its issue in election campaigns Industrial
Unonism.
The Western Federation of Miners, under that
old and progressive leader. Charles II. Meyer, is
probably further advanced in Industrial Unonism
than any other labor. organization in the United
States today. This organization requires that any
person who works around or IN a metaferous mine
must be member of the Western Federation of
Miners, be he miner machinst carpenter or laborer
This action the part of the Federation has been
fought by the different international unions of the
trades concerned, but the miners have won their
contention.
The Brewery Workers next in Industrial
Unonism. The International Association of Brew
cry Workers require, also that all employees IN or
around the plants where their members are employed
shall be members of their organizations but they
have only partially been successful in this demand
The engineers have separate organization from
the Brewery Workers but they have an agreement
between their internationals whereby they sign
scales of wages jointly
The two organizations named above were the
pioneers in the Industrial Unionism movement; but
numerous and disastrous reverses have taught tht
different trades that Industrial Unionsm is alb.
solute necessity and out of this necessity has arisen
the Federation of Shop Employees the Hartman
system. This federation plunged into life and
death struggle early last fall with the railroad cap
tains. The managers of the different roads that go
to make up the system realized that recognize the
federation would be to put tremendous weapon
to fight to the DEATH With the aid of all other rail
roads in the country this battle still goes forward
But the end is not yet in this controversy. Rep
resentatives from every road west of the Mississippi
that goes to make up system federation of shop
employees met in Kansas City recently and fedora
ton of federations formed. This consolidation
made necessary by the refusal of the Hartman
system to recognize the system federation, and
less speedy settlement is made the government will
be forced to step in and act mediator in the
premises
Industrial Unionism' - with the exception of
political action is the only live issue before the trade
unionist today. In the printing trades the condi-
tons in this respect deplorable. There
time when all the printing trades belonged to the
International Typographical union, but at
time the different branches of the trade seeded
until there remains but the ' commercial printer
and the newspaper printer consisting of linotype
operators, ad men, makeups proof readers, and the
linotype machinists in the newspapers, and those
employed in doing job work in the commercial
plants. The Mailers still belong to the International
Typographical union. although they have separate
locals and sign separate scales of wages
The International Printing Pressmen and AS
sstants' Union of North America is separate in
ternational, and in Denver maintains four separate
locals the Web Pressmen (newspaper), the Printing
Pressmen (cylinder pressmen in job ofices), Press
Assistants feeders ON cylinder presses). and job
Pressmen (those who run patten presses in job of
fces)
The Stereotypers and Eectrotypers' union is
a separate organization. This organization maintains
but one local in Denver. although it is closely allied
in everything but trade relations with the Photo
Engravers, which organization also has a separate
international union
Then we have the International Brotherhood of
Bookbinders, which last week held its international
convention in Detroit Mich. This orgaization has
two local unions in Denver-the Bookbinders and