Wheeling majority. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1907-192?, 1914-06-25
What Labor Unions Have Done

The next tins someone asks vo,
What have your unions .done?o DOM
pity his ignorance, but take this unin.
formed gentleman in hand and on4r
mis- mind to the greatest force for
good the world s workers have c,.sr
known.
Compare the twelve and thirtea,.
hour work day and, seven DAYS H.
week that were universal in our trqF3
fifteen or twenty years ago, on wares
of from $40 to $12 per week, with hs,
conditions we find now in. our \ al.
organized cities of eight hours a .I.,y,
and six days a week and from Sis to.
1925 per. week as pay, yet alone H..
better working conditions that have
been obtained
Elbow him how the teamster Slent
in the hayloft, too weary, and tired
to go home for a few hours rest reIl
MIN about the brewery workers c5m.
PEELED to labor fourteen and sixteen.
hour day, apd who were forced 10.
stimulate themselves by the excessjys
use of beer. Now these brewery wort
ers. have short work day and tha
sentiment against drinking even one
glass of beer while at work is grow.
ing. Show. him the printer, with mis-
twelve and fourteen-hour work day IN
morning papers, with debauchery bari.
of the trade. Now, short hours nave
made drinking printer rarity
These trades are only samples. The
same is true of the entire list. The
rl1k hNVY 6ary g..
organized callings, many of WfrfeA=aAye
discussing seven hours, to enjoy to
greater degree the good things of HE
It the unions successful efforts in
reducing the work day is not sufficient
excuse for our existence, show your
friend how the workers agitation So.
cured our free school, system and Hs
free school books. How we have rails.
ed wages and established a vast chain
OF benefits. How we have forced EN-.
ployers to safeguard life and limb
How shop conditions are bettered by
workers standing together and pro.
| tecting from blacklisting the fellows
who Ego to the front"
Show him how labor unions spend
their dollars to secure labor laws that
benefit union and non-union alike
Show him how unions were the first
to take up the fight for direct legis.
lation against child labor and scores
Of other reforms
And more than all these combined
show him the effect of unionism on
the character of man-how it devel.
opes independence and manhood
how 1t equips man to assert himself
instead Of standing cowed and servile.
with cap in hand, before his employ,
er.
Tell, him too, that no one. can sue
cessfully deny the fact bit thata
laborer has just as good right to
put his price on what he has to sell,
which is his labor, as his employer
has to put his price on what his en-
ployes manufacture and produce for
him wh>Sl he sells it..
Tell him all these gains have ebeen
made within the past fifty years. Be.
fore that time men were denied the
right to even organize. Laws declar.
ed that three workers constituted a
conspiracy. But despite these obsta-
cles, men united. They formed de-
batting societies and established small
labor papers. Slowly and one at a
time they toppled over old ideas, main
tanned by lawmakers, professors, &c
onomists and students Upward they
trooped out, out of slavery and bond
age, until today they stand, over g.
100000 strong, with representative
In the presidents cabinet and with
governors and statesmen proud to say
they once, belonged ito trade union.
| Tell your fnon-union friend some OF
these things the next time he asks
what our movement ever did. An in
telligent answer may result in max
ing one more active worker for the
cause of labor and humanity Sta
tionary Firemen's Journal. -