The Butler County press. [volume] (Hamilton, Ohio) 1900-1946, 1914-08-14
AN EQUITABLE ARRANGEMENT.

The Right to Organize No Longer a
DebatabIe Question - Principle Has
Been Upheld by Numerous Court De-
cisions In the Past.
Much has been said and written
about the closed shop. not only in its
favor by its adherents. but against it
by its adversaries, and consequently in
discussion of this most important
question we are led to consideration
Of the reason for union organizations.
Let us see. Broadly speaking, we can
divide the reasons for unions into three
classes
First.-To secure better wages.
Second.-To secure shorter hours of
labor.
Third.-To make employment GER
tainty for members.
The balance of reasons, such as sani-
tary working conditions. the union
label, more light in the factory. appren-
hceship rules, etc, can all be cassed
under and as auxiliary to the three
classes set out above.
The third reason assigned-namely
Ito make employment a certainty for
members" is the one with which we
are concerned in this article The ques-
ton of wages. shorter hours, etc. is al
ways open to conciliation and arbitra
ton, and the representatives, of the
unions are always willing to arbitrate
these controyerted questions. but there
can be no arbitration OF the closed shop
propositions for the reason that on this
feature of unionism the men, as body,
must stand or fall.
The trade unions in the first instance
We're developed among the workers,
who in desperation were forced into
organization on account of the pluck
me" stores. the sweatshop conditions.
the low wages and long hours un-
der which they were compelled to la
Dor. After organization they first said.
1--WE want the pluck me- stores abol-
ished;' this was accomplished. Then
they said. we want more sanitary sur
roundings during working hours" they
secured that. They then demanded
shorter hours of daily labor and Sc
cured them. And then from time to
time they asked for and. usually after
an industrial battle, they secured more
pay.
But even these advantages did not
eliminate the ills to which they were
heirs. for the reason that the employ
ers were continually discharging those
whom they were pleased to cali "agita-
tors ana employing nonunion pace
makers" TO disrupt the conditions the
trade unionists had gained through
their collective efforts. Realizing this.
the leaders very wisely came to the
conclusion that to remedy that evil it
would be necessary TO evolve some
plan whereby only members of the or
ganiZed crafts would be employed by
any certain firm or contractor. and this
thought led to the birth Of the greatest
industrial weapon ever placed in the
hands of organized labor 1t is, gener-
ally speaking. the dove of peace,
good will and fair treatment on the
part of both the employer and en-
ployee. and if rightly used by the par
ties TO the contract it means more in
dustrial peace than can be secured by
any other means or methods.
In innumerabe decisions handed
down by the courts it has been held
that the men have right to organize.
ask for better conditions, ask for high,
er wages. ask for more sanitary sur
roundings, or ask for anything within
reason to improve their moral, intel
lectual, physical and social welfare.
The courts have further said that the
employers have a right to organize and
combat these demands and seek to get
the men for the lowest wage possible,
TO work the man under conditions
named by them. Now, then, this being
the case and both parties being legally
organized. is there any man or set Of
men who are so devoid or deficient of
gray matter" that it will say an agree
ment entered into by these two con
tracing parties for the closed shop,
whereia the employer obligates himself
to hire none but members of the union,
and the men obligate themselves to
work for him for Il given compensa
tion and to furnish the employer with