The Socialist and labor star. [volume] (Huntington, W. Va.) 1911-1915, 1914-05-08
SELF GOVERNMENT
IN TRADES UNIONS

The working class IS greatly !hdeD-
led to the industrial Workers Of the
World for their criticism Of craft
unionisn1, If for nothing else
Our conservative trades unionist
may not relish the smashing Of some
cf his cherished ideas-feW people do
but they are smashed nevertheless.
Ideas tend, like all things, TO be-
come fxed-set. When they do this
the great stream Of events sweep by,
the waters ,rcede, and the conscrTa-
tive is left IL the wTeckagc along tho
hanks.
An organization, or group Of orga-
rizations, like craft unions, brought
into being 20 meet a given condition
Of industrial life, must change as IN
dustrial conditions change. or must
tecome out CT date and Anticipated. 1t
is against this process of foSsilization
that trade-nnionism is now battling.
The most reactionary element IN
the trade union movement is its Off
cialdom. Holding Office, usually Ia,
"ratire one, is demoralizing. The lar"
ger and more powerful the organlza-
ion, and the larger the salaries paid
The greater incentive to hold the jobs
This situation, in time, and a Short
.ime at that, almost invariably c-ca-
.es 4 cotorie Of officials who form
political machine that has for its chief
bject it's own perpetuation. While il
still interested in building up tn
organization, the purpose of the OIL
.ials in doing so is now primarily tc
trengthen their own power, and only
secondarily to serve the cause Of th'
membership.
These political machines If trade.
lnion ofiicialdom have a strong ten
lency to exercise autocratic power
This serves them, not alone in effect
ne their own perpetuation, but II
nagnifying their Importance in tn:
yes of the employing class, as well
is in the eyes of the workers them
selves.
Just to the extent that such politi
al machines develop in trade unior
organizations, just to that extent dc
they cease 70 serve the workers who
inancc and maintain them. Thcs;
trade union ,..,i"ial5 usually advocate
placing the power o. making con
tracts in their hands. This mean.
that the rank and file Of the workers
ere to arm their officials with the
power to market their labor power.
On such terms as the officials think
oest. It means, III plain terms, tn
power to sell the workers into bond
age. Officials are seldom in posi-
ton to take the same view as the
workers themselves And they sell
dom have the imaginative power tc
place themselves in such position.
Having thei" salaries assured. they
are concerned rather with keeping the
membership working and the income
f the organization intact.
What the working c'ass must DO
above all thirgs, is to abolish control
from abovA It makes no matte!
whether that control comes from thu
capitalist employer or from their own
organization officials. To permit
Your own officials to dominate you i:
IS bad as t. let the bosses dominate
you. Deliv4rance from economic bond
age can never come without sclf-con-
trol-democracy. This control o!
your own affairs can best be learned
in Your own organizations. The plac-
tice to be gained there will fit you for
the manag eE'ent o. the nations in.
dustrial life when your class snail.
triumph.
Never place the power Of making
contracts in the hands Of your OIL
Gals. 1t will corrupt them and de-
.noralizo w. The manner in which
the coal miners of the kanawla field
have taken their own affairs into thei:
own keeping is wonderfully inspiring
It is the greatest step they have ever
taken. The manner IL which they re-
fused to be led by their officials
amounts to declaration OF FREE
DOM. In the past they have been
able to barter your rights away. cithe'
BY making contracts for you, or ooer
cling or invcigling you into contracts
against your interests.
1t is likely that the new unlonlsm
which is now coming into being will
refuse to make contracts, especially
time contracts The commercial
capitalist, in the manufacturing and
marketing Of his wares, demands a
labor supply upon which he can dc
pend. He must make contracts for
future delivery and these contracts
must be made with a view to the sup
rly and quality Of labor. If, there
fore, it becomes of first importance to
the capitalist to have a certain and