The labor journal. [volume] (Everett, Wash.) 1909-1976, 1913-08-08
LABEL EFFICIENT.
Manufacturers Waking Up to Its
Increasing Power.
TO BOYCOTT THE BOYCOTT.


At the recent convention at Detroit
of the National Association of Manu-
| facturerS much attention was paid TO
consideration of measures affecting
its employees in general and the Ia
Dor unions in particular. We ask our
readers to please note that this conven-
ton of employers spent nearly all of
its time denouncing the labor unions
and giving advice to their employees
According to press reports, one of
| the speakers said: IF all who labor
were members of the closed shop UNI
ions or were even sympathizers with
them one might consider its political
wisdom for the party in power to man.
| ifest its sympathy with closed shop
| ideals as it has done. However, the
number of people in closed shop organ
izations would not equal 5 per cent of
all the laboring people in this country.
Yet it seems the ) per cent are being
given special privilege which cannot
help but work injury to the 80 per
cent" This is the strongest testimony
in favor of the efficiency of labor I'M
| ions that we have ever heard. Ordi-
narily a trust is presumed to control
considerable majority Of its product
before it can be considered a trust.
Monopoly means control, but in the
above quotation we have a new theory
that 3 per cent constitutes control of
90 per cent. If labor unions so in
crease the efficiency of 8 per cent that
they control the other 95 per cent then
we repeat that this is the strongest
testimony for the efficiency of labor
| unions that we have ever heard.
AS to working injury to the 90 per
cent, the labor unions are composed
of working people who desire better
wages and conditions of labor, who de-
sire to keep their children in the
schools and their wives at home. Ev-
cry new desire of the wage earners is
for improved conditions of life, which
would benefit not only the per cent,
which the speaker conceded as organ
lied, but also would benefit the 90 per
cent whom the speaker conceded
would be controlled by the per cent.
Just in what way better wages, short
er hours, better living conditions, bet
ter food and clothing, would be an in
| jury to the % per cent, who are en-
forced beneficialies of the 5 per cent,
we are not yet informed.
To cap the climax this convention of
manufacturers has a committee on un-
ion label not of course, for the pur-
] Of h, fnr
ion label goods, but of trying to bring
force to bear to crush the union label
idea Therefore this committee on I'M
ion label brings in the following re
| port: 1T is gratifying to note that, like
other union suggestions, the indentif-
been welcomed by the general public.
In urging that our members discour-
age manufacturers and retailers from
permitting the discriminatory and mis-
leading union label to be placed upon
| products for general consumption we
would remind them that the total
membership of the unions that under
take to pass upon the fairness or I'M
fairness of a manufactured article is
only 4000OO. n small fraction of the
great working forces in American in
dustiY." This folderol means that the
Manufacturers association, recogniz-
Ing the fact that the union label is an
effective boycott proposes to use its
influence as far as it can to boycott the
boycott.
With this idea in mind it will urge
that its members shall discourage
manufacturers and retailers from per-
hitting the union label to be placed on
products. 1t thinks it is an awful
thing if Il labor union committee waits
upon n merchant and asks him not to
purchase goods of an employer whom
it considers unfair to it, but still these
same manufacturers will go to n mer-
chant and ask him not to buy goods
bearing a union label
The most ridiculous feature of this
position of the manufacturers is the
smallness of their numbers as com
/ pared with the millions of working
/ people. We admit that not all the
/ Wageworkers are organized. but we
have just quoted the authority of the
manufacturers convention to show
/ that . per cent can control the other
| 30 per cent. Its label committee was
sadly off in its figures, however, in Civ
/ ing 100000 as the membership of
/ unions committed to the union label
/ idea The membership Of the Ameri-
can Federation of Labor has just pass
ed the 100000 mark. This does not
/ include lhe great railroad brotherhoods
/ or organizations like the bricklayers.
/ who are not affiliated with the Ameri-
can Federation Of Labor, but are still
indorscrs OF the union label idea and
| Just rs loyal to that idea as the manu-
facturers as individuals are loyal to
any alleged principle of their asso-
citation
They are welcome to any satisfaction
or encouragement they can get from
their attempt to boycott the boycott.
All that organized labor has to do is
to keep right on building up the de-
mand for union label goods. and its in
/ t1uence with the merchants of the
I country will be Overwhelmingly
/ stronger than the influence Of any as
ISOLATION of employers, who must nee
essarily be few in number. - Shoe