The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-05-28
Closed shop Control of civ

ShVp toDtrOI
If the question of the open and closed
shop has arisen in your business or your
city in a practical way, the following
story of the city of Duluth, Mimi, Will
be interesting. Previous to the events
herein narrated, Duluth had been a strong
union town for many years. The building
Industry was absolutely upon a closed
shop basis, and strong unions existed in
manufacturing and other trades. The
scale Of wages in the building trades was
as high as that paid in New York city.
Practically every skilled mechanic be-
longed to the union, and not only were
non-union men thus kept from the city,
but the unions of the city went SO far
as to discourage the coming In of even
union men from outside cities. Thus se-
curing arbitrary control of the labor sup
ply the unions were enabled not only
to obtain the highest of wages, but to
subject the building industry of the city
to every conceivable form of union con-
troll. restriction and limitation.
Decrease In Building Operations
Under these conditions. although Duluth
is strategically located in position where
there is every incentive for rapid growth,
building operations had been for some
time on the decline, and this, too, at a
time when the wave of prosperity was
still at its height The question had be-
come one of serious concern to the busi-
ness men, and especially the real estate
interests in the city, and some remedy
for Duluth's apparently sick Industrial
condition was being sought.
Arbitrary and Unjust Attack on Local
Contractor
About this time one of the largest OF
the local general contractors secured the
contract for the erection of a large busi-
ness block In Duluth. The contract for
the steel was let separately and to a
large company whose operations were
national In scope and which had for some
time been doing its work upon an open
shop basis When the open shop work.
men of this company started the erection
or steel, the closed shop workmen of tire
general contractor went ON strike to COM
pei their discharge. The general contrac-
tor explained that he had no control over
the steel contract but this made no diff
ference. He then offered the steel erect
ing company the entire price OF Its con-
tract If it would get off the work, he him.
self intending to erect the steel. This
the steel contractor refused to do and
proceeded with it's open shop work There
upon, and although the general contractor
was absolutely helpless, the building
trades unions of Duluth called a general
strike, not only on the one job. but on
all the other operations of this contrac-
tor in the city. Had he been left alone
at this crisis, his absolute ruin would
have been inevitable. His friendship for
union labor and the long years during
which he had conducted his work under
agreements with II had secured him no
consideration or immunity from unjust at
tack, but had only resulted in placing
him In a position of greater vunerability.
Uprising Of Business Men-DeclaratiOn
for Open shop
The general contractor, however, was
not left to fight his battle alone. The
other contractors Immediately saw that
II he were defeated on such an issue,
they themselves would only be in a worse
plight and no one would be safe from
repetition of similar outrage. The
Builders exchange. therefore. declared
for the open shop and pledged its sup
port to the general contractor. So thor
oughly was the business community
aroused and SO clear had it become that
the domination of the closed shop union
was one of the forces impeding the prog
ress Of the city. that the real estate
board, the Commercial club, the Arch-
tects' association, and finally an open
mass meeting Of Duluth's citizens all de-
clared for the open shop and formed a
general citizens association for the pur-
pose of putting IT into operation. And
right here II may be pertinent to say
that such a general and widespread con-
demnation of an institution and such an
uprising on the part of community to
root 1t out, Is proof i'm itself that there
Is something rotten in that institution.
The closed shop had had a good many
years to make a record In Duluth. Had
1t been q public benefit, factor In up
building the city and adding to its pros
perity, 1t would have been gladly accept
ed as a permanent fixture.
Results
The results of the general open shop
uprising were In some respects surprising
even to its supporters. At first many
outside men were brought into the city,
but it soon developed that a large per-
centage OF the rank and file OF the unions
themselves were out OF sympathy with
the policy of their leaders, and these
men returned to work at the first oppor-
tunity. So thorough and revolutionary
was the change. that scarcely none OF
the features Of long drawn out strike
were experienced. With the whole COM
munity Of one mind. there was no en-
couragement or tolerance for any of the
ordinary closed shop methods, such al
violence. the boycott, intimidation, ETC..