The labor journal. [volume] (Everett, Wash.) 1909-1976, 1914-01-23
TIMBER WORKERS DECLARE
FOR AN EIGHT HOUR DAY
SHORTER WORK-DAY A NECESSITY SOLIDARITY IN OR
GANIzATION RESULT OF VOTE ON RESOLUTION
EIGHT HOURS WORK, EIGHT HOURS FOR SLEEP
EIGHT HOURS TO DO WHAT YOU WILL

the dominant topic from the tap of the
gong. Perhaps the imminent peril Of
a labor marked swamped by an incom
ing tide of immigration from Europe
had much to do with that feeling
Anyhow, but little else was talked of
from the time the pre-convention com
mittees began to gather, until the fall
of the gavel announced the adjourn.
ment of the convention. How to take
care of the unemployed, to absorb the
surplus in the labor market, led every
discussion unerringly to the shorter
work-day. Raise their wage schedule
create better camp and working con-
ditions, these seemed desirable, but it
all seemed but a makeshift in face of
the growing army of unemployed and
the prospect of heavy immigration
from Europe
The final decision to subordinate ev-
cry other thing to the one demand for
an eight-hour day and to make the de-
mand the first of May, showed a soli-
darity of feeling / have never before
never before saw a roll-call vote taken
in which there was not a single des-
senting vote recorded. That is what
happened on that roll-call and the an
nouncement of the vote sent the con-
vention into pandemonium which was
unchecked and uncontrolled for sew
eral minutes. Delegates who had for
years hoped and despaired alternately
of seeing the dream of an eight-hour
made reality as well as the delegates
who for the first time were deliberat-
ing in a labor assembly as organized
labor men, alike were carried away
with the feeling of solidarity that
swept over that convention hall.
The convention transacted other
business, great deal of it in fact, but
every single thing which it was
thought might detract the minds of
the membership from the eight-hour
day demand, confuse or becloud the
issue, was laid on the table with
scarcely dissenting vote.
1t is confidently believed that many
employers in the timber industry will
ooncede the shorter work-day, pre-
oluding the necessity of striking to en-
force it. The timber workers do not
striking just to stir up"
but are grimly determined
that they will strike if it becomes nee
essary to enforce their demand. The
last year has seen splendid progress
made in organizing the timber work
ers. The next three months will see
that work carried on with increased
vigor The slogan of the organization
IS every man who works in our in
1ustry must become union man."
This week at Raymond where the
State Federation of Labor is in ses-
sion, an appeal is being made to or
ganized labor of the state for moral
support in the coming campaign of
organization and for the struggle
which follows if come it must. The
timber industry is the great basic in
iustry of this northwest. In it's unor-
ganized state, the conditions imposed
upon it by employers become a men
ace to the industrial conditions of ev-
cry other laboring occupation The
advantages that will agree to the
workers in other lines of industry
from a thoroughly organized timber
industry, must be evident to every
man. For the consumers of
our products are our own fellow work
ers in the various industries The
steadily employed man is a much
greater consumer of your product than
the unemployed man, logically so,
since our consuming power is based
on our earning power. With this in
dustry organized and keenly alive. as
it will be, to the assistance given you,
Bro. printer, carpenter, or cigarmaker,
you will find it a tower of strength
for you to lean on, a working force
shoulder to shoulder with
you toward the goal every organiza-
tion of labor is striving for.
To the slogan eight hours sleep.
eight hours work, eight hours to do
what you WILL" must be added "edu-
cate, agitate, ORGANIZE"
In this fair state of Washington we
want no industrial scenes of West Vir-
ginia, Michigan, or Colorado nor will
we have if the organized labor stands
gh 10 IL -.