The labor journal. [volume] (Everett, Wash.) 1909-1976, 1912-05-10
union EDUCATION,
Organized Labor'S Officials Must
Be Competent.
PLAN OF THE CL0AKMAKERS.

lie OlOak anu ShiIl NdheIH uulOh
of New York city has started some
thing unheard Of in the trade union
world Of the United States-a competi
tive examination for all candidates for
Office in the union Especially is this
demand for definite curriculum
strong among the would be business
agents of the union, or, as they are
nicknamed. walking delegates" says
the New York Press
This examination scheme of the
Cloakmakers' union has been adopted
by several other unions in New York.
among them the Ladies' Waist and
Dress Makers union and the Ladies
1ailors' union Unions in other cities
are eagerly watching the work of their
fellow uniouists in New York
There is deep Significance to this
competitive examination for union Of
ficials, labor leaders assert. 1t will not
only put the best men at the head Of
the union, but will have tendency to
uplift the mass Of unionists and to
make them more intelligent.
To look after the interests of the
cloak worker the union found it had
to have men of decided ability; that ii
must have leaders not only faithful to
the union. but able to win the respect
of employers for themselves and for
the organization. 1t was decided.
therefore, to rigidy test the mental and
moral qualifications of all candidates
for office. The business agents were
chosen as the first division of union
officials to so through Il competitive
examination, because they are vital
springs in the mechanism of the union
He is the most potent factor for
peace or war in the industry. The
union business agent comes in daily
contact with employers, He is called
upon to investigate complaints made
by either the union or the employer
and to settle difficulties. A diplomat
ic, well trained, we'll bred. sensible
man will smooth over many a strained
relation between the employer and his
employees A hot headed, coarse, vi,
cious or dishonest one may fan the
slightest difficulty into a strike.
The board of examiners of the Cloak
and Shirt Makers union consists of
fifteen members, among whom are
Meyer London, the unions attorney.
and Abraham Rosenberg, president of
the international Ladies Garment
Workers union.
THE object of these examinations"
Mr. London said, sis to raise the union
agent, the walking delegate, if you
please, to the plane of a social worker.
We want to raise the standard of un-
ion officials and of union men. We
want not only good union men, but
educated union men. Education! This
must be the slogan of the labor move
ment now. We must have an intelli-
gent working class in this country,
and the unions must be the leaders in
this movement for the education Of
the people who toll.
What we aim at in these examina-
lions is to find out the breadth of the
applicants views, his moral strength,
his outlook on economic questions,
The candidates experience in settling
industrial disputes is taken strongly
into consideration. At our last exam
ination we had forty candidates, and
we consumed eleven hours in eXamin-
ing them. The examination began at
3 o'clock in the afternoon and ended
at . in the morning We simply had
a heart to heart talk with each of the
delegates about the following matters:
First, his knowledge Of the English
language; second, his knowledge Of
industry and particularly of the cloak
and suit trade: third, his knowledge
of the labor movement in general;
fourth. his general ethical outlook on
life. While loyalty and enthusiasm
for the union were demanded of every
applicant, yet blind zeal alone did not
weigh with us. Tact, businessIike APP
pearance and gentlemanly bearing
were insisted on, and only those pos
sessing all of these qualifications We're
passed
What is meant by zeal without tact
was explained by President Rosenberg.
eve had a case recently" Rosenberg
said. where a business agent came 10
to a manufacturer against whom there
were some grievances and addrCs ed
him something like this: DO you
agree to these here propositions II
not | call strike Before many
more words were exchanged the bust
ness agent became abusive and the
employer ordered him out Of the shop
We die not blame the employer in
this instance, nor do we question the
good faith Of this agent His zeal and
devotion to the union interests are
above all suspicion. But the man lack
ed tact He lacked The ability to han
die reople-and himself As a union
representative, whose business It is to
straightan ont rather than aggravlte
difficulties, be was n failure I'm ex
aiming candidates we are on the look
Ont against just such applicants An
other class we guard against is the
man who looks for the Office OF bust
pess agent because he thinks it is
political job We put no check on
ambition on the contrary. we want
ambitious men In important positions.
But unless a candidate can answer
satisfactorily the question as to his
motive for wanting job in the union
and tlFs is among the first questions
asked-ne Is put down On the list OF
the ineilgibles"
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