The labor world., 1914-07-18
last year, namely the theatrical en-
n1oYeAs. But thara is an increase

pAoJo0S' ]~Ne tAcI0 ~ dA @@A~~~~~~
in the union members who have an
eight hour day. These have evidently
changed from nine to an eight-hour
day, as is shown, by the smaller per-
centage Of those4working nine hours
this year: The greatest decrease IN
hours was secured by those working
more than ten hours per day. Last
year 20 unions with 1853 members
reported a work day of more than ten
hours. This year only IS unions with
1911 members are in this class.
Whereas year ago about 10 percent
of the union men reporting we're
working more than ten hours per day
this year only 6':per Gent work SO
| many hours
There was a slight decrease In the
percentage Of unions sand members
who work less than fuN time on Sat-
urdays, but this is probably due to
the smaller number Of reports. For
when we look to the total number OF
hours per week we find that the
greatest change during the year has
been an increase of over 10 percent.
in those who work from As to 49
hours per week. These include many
trades which work to 9 hours per
day with half days or slightly reduc-
ed hours Qn Saturdays.
" The brewerygtraaes work very gen
and the printing Eades=: almost en-
tirely: r!The @buildiaI trades - have a
majority working<e these hours. and
very many work less than As hours
per week.
The clothing trades have about half
their members working from As Ito
49 hours per, week. end the other half
from so to 81, while about half the
metal trades members work from so
to 50 and the other half from SIS to
60 hours per week.
s. Unemployment
I'm order to get an idea of the ex-
tent and the causes ycf unemployment,
the unions were asked to report the
number of their idle members on
September I, 1913 and to what the
idleness was due. Answers were
received from 24s unions with a total
mem bership Of 1921. OF this num-
Der Of members 1896 were found to
be idle, that is to say 7.2 per cent.
September being one of the busiest
months of the year, as shown in last
years report, this: percentage of un-
employment shows an unusually dull
year. Ordinarily we expect in the
busy months about or 3 per cent
unemployed. The slack months, Dec
ember and January, in prosperous
years have commonly only 10 or IL
per cent, unemployed. The hard times
this winter might have been foretold
ha II jo1r
ed in the busy month Of September.
Unemployment was due to lack of
work in over three-fourths of the
cases, while slightly over one-twen-
tieth Of the cases was due to strikes.
These percentagesn are interesting
as showing the state Of affairs on one
day of the year. But it is more i'm
portant to know what happens the
year over. In a Statistical table we
have the annual earnings of union
members compared with their pos
sible earnings based on their rate of
pay If steadily employed. This may
be summarized as follows:
Taking all ther@Ine1nbers; reporting,
namely, 1892, they averaged in
earnings $3.50 .dufgn the year. Had
they worked steadily they might have
earned $3.50. Ih other words they
lost $205, or 80 pers cent. ofywhat they
actually > earned. =. Assuming that
ree-fourths Of this Joss was due to
lack Of work, AS shown by the table
Of causes, then about $3.50 or % per
cent Of what they earned was lost be:
cause of, unemployment, Only about
21 per cent. of the members reporting
can be said to have worked steadily
through the year.
1t is interesting to. note that the
higher the. possible earnings the
greater is the loss each year. Fo,
example, those whose weekly rate Of
pay might enable them to earn $1,000
a year lost 25.s per cent of this, while
those who could earn but $500 lost
only 25.9 per cent. This merely illus.
trates in another way that the trades
with the highest rates of pay lose
| the most time during the year and
that those with the lower rates Of pay
might earn more during the yea1
than those with the higher rates.
In certain trades. of course, the
| loss in earnings is very much greater
than In others. Thus in the building
| trades over 20 per cent of those re.
porting lost more than $500 during
| the year, or almost one third of wha1
! they earned. The mental trades this
year also show a very large loss ,ir
earnings. This is unusual. On the
other hand, the printing trades seen
to have quite steady work, for owe,
40 per cent of the members lost les.
than 500 during the year. The brew
cry and the clothing trades lost some
what less than the metal trades"
6. Control of Working Conditions.
| The index of a unions control ovel
the working conditions Is the trade.
agreement. AS it becomes stronger
1t has more to say in determining
conditions Of employment, and this il
usually accomplished by writer
agreements between the employer
and the union. -
Following is summary Of our sta
tlst1cal table on trade agreements
with employers. This is almost 6:
per cent, and is exactly the same per
centase Of the unions reporting trad,
last year. OF the 1851 members O
the unions reporting, 12,20S wer'
working under such agreements
This Is about 20 percent, which i
about the same as last year. The an
| SWerS regarding the number of EN-