The Butler County press. [volume] (Hamilton, Ohio) 1900-1946, 1914-01-23
American Fedora
tiOn of Labor.
To All Organized Labor

/ OCdI DIS anu DIOlHSIS. AS you
are aware, there were under dis
cnsslon by the Seattle Convention
of the American Federation of La
Dor many matters of vital impor-
tance to the organized labor move
ment. To some of this it is deemed
essential that the attention of the
national and international unions,
the state federation of labor, the
city central bodies, and the organ
izers should be practically directed.
Briefly stated, they are:
The convention placed particular
stress upon the menace of low dues
to the organizations of labor, as
we'll as to the true interests of the
workers themselves, and urged
that every effort should be made to
have all affiliated unions place
themselves upon higher dues-pay-
ing basis, should make every effort
to es ablish, as early as possible, a
system within their own organiza-
tions providing weekly financial
assistance for their members when
involved in strikes and lockouts,
thus providing for and rendering
financial support of definite and
substantial nature than usually re-
suits from circular or personal ap-
peals.
The convention adopted resol
ution urging the government of the
United States to declare in favor of
a naval holiday in the construction
of battleships and other ships of
war The convention urged the
labor movement of other countries
to prevail upon their respective
governments to second that hu-
name effort. The House of Repre-
sentatives of the United States
Congress has since adopted reso-
luton favoring the idea. This eff
fort should be supplemented by ac-
ton on the part of all organized la
Dor of America. Communications
have already been sent out TO the
representatives of organized labor
of the civilized countries Of the
world urging them to take similar
action
The Seattle Convention, by a
unanimous vote, decided that the
efforts of the toilers of America and
r our friends should be concentrated
, to secure the enactment, at this
session of Congress, of the Bartlett.
5 Bacon bill, which, if enacted, will
restore to the organized worker:
the legal rights to which they were
>
entitled before the Federal court:
interpreted the Sherman Antitrust
; law to apply to the voluntary as
sociations of the tailors. The
enactment of that bill into law will
eradicate the abuse and limit anC
, regulate the issuance of injunc
( tons, particularly as they so un
Justly have been issued during the
pendency of labor disputes. Al
national and international and lCca
unions, state federations of labor
city central bodies and friends, are
urged to pass resolutions, to write
letters to their respective United
States Senators and members of th'
House of Representatives, insisting
upon the passage of the Bartlett
Bacon bill, Senate 927, H. R. 187'
a this session of Congress.
There were four resolutions deal
: ing with the non -afiliation of local
of affiliated national and interna
! tional unions, with chartered cen
trail bodies and state federations o
!, labor The Federation constitution
provides:
Section 2, Article II. That i
shall be the duty of all nationa
and international unions to irstruc
their local unions to join centra
! labor bodies, departments, AM
state federations in their vicinit,
: where such exists. The conven
: ton urged that the necessary step
be taken by national and interna
: tional unions to have their local
. comply with the provisions of til
u constitution as herein set forth.
The convention recommended t
: affiliated organizations the desirea
t bility of having local agreement
in allied industries terminate upo
the same date, enabling all union
Y employed in an industry to act upo