The Socialist and labor star. [volume] (Huntington, W. Va.) 1911-1915, 1913-11-07
VALUE OF ORGANIZATION.
Every Wage Garner Should Join the
Union of His Trade.

Every wage GaihS S''Ss'S SS''' 49,
Union of His Trade.
How many times have you heard the
question. why do You belong to
trade union?" and the reply. in eight
cases out of ten. is. because of the
benefits derived from it.
Well, that may at first seem Il selfish
motive. but is nevertheless one that
promotes the general welfare. writes
!. J. Cahil! in American Fedora ZIONIST.
The union brings TO its adherents bet
ter physical. social and moral condi-
lions, and must he given credit for
these, Judging from the things that
have been accomplished by the various
labor nr@aniza lions in the past
Trade unions have grown ami pros
pered even in the face Of opposition
and they have been attacked and
denounced Us scarcely any other inSti-
tuition ever was. There was Il time
when every one employing labor WAS
opposed TO Il labor union and looked
upon it as Il menace.
No wage Garner is doing his full duty
to his family-or even himself-nnleSs
he identities his own interests with
those Of his fellow w0rkmen. and this
can he accomplished by Joining 4 trade
union. the obvious way TO make COM
mon cause with them. In this way he
will be able to strengthen organized
labor and influence it for the best
ends.
There is no one who can c0nSri2n
tiously dispute the fact that the trade
union is the principal means hy which
the conditions of the working classes
can be benefited Trade unions are AL
thorizcl hy the laws OF the state and
country and should be supported in
their efforts TO Uplift the moral and So
cial welfare Of the wage Garner Such
support is given by the enlightened
sentiment Of right thinking men-anh
the benefits, both 10 their members
and the general public, are seen and APP
prcciated by those who are not preiu-
diced against them. Even those who
are rrpjudiced will sometimes give
them credit or some fraternal act they
may have witnessed. and fraternaiSm
is no small factor in the trade union
movement.
1t would be ridiculous to presume
that any trade organization is infaIi-
Bile. Mistakes have been made, and
Won need not go very far back into the
history Of practically every great move
ment to find duplicated nearly every
thing that Is being denounced today
in the trade union. There was time
when the strength OF an organization
WAS used only as the weapon Of de-
Tense. But this has been overcome Ivy
the unions putting in effect an arhitra-
ton agreement whenever possible in
the settlement Of wage scales.
Speaking Of wage scales. the errone-
Gus statement has been made by those
not in possession Of the facts that
members Of labor unions are not al
lowed 10 receive more than the scale
Of wages set by the union This is not
n fact, as the scale submitted to the
employer by the union is the minimum
scale. \ member is now allowed to
work for less than the scale of wages
agreed upon by the union and employ
or. but this does nol prohibit him from
receiving more than is provided for in
the scale. If he can obtain 1t. In the
making of scales hy labor unions the
minimum scale is based on what is
called the average or what is consul
cred Il fair rate of competency. 1t Will
be seen, then, that the question OF re-
cciving more than the scale lies entire
" between the employer and the EN-
nlovee. as it should be
1t is the aim Of all labor unions u
establish and maintain an equitable
scale of wages IN an endeav0r to pro
tect their members from sudden ana
unreasonable fluctuations in the rate
" compensation and also to protect
inst and honorable employers from I'M
fair competition.