The Butler County press. [volume] (Hamilton, Ohio) 1900-1946, 1914-04-10
Cooperative Trades and La.
Dor Council, Central Leg
isIatiVe Body OF
so Unions.

Council p To those who do not
know and who ask the question,
we just tell them that it is the
parent body of all the labor unions
in this city who are affiliated with
the American Federation of Labor,
Washington, d c. There are now
80 local unions affiliated with the
central body and every local SO
affiliated is entitled to three dele
gates. These delegates constitute
the central body and meetings are
held alternate Tuesdays in Trades
Council Hall. Here of late the
council meetings have been we'll at
tended and much interest is man
ifest among the delegates.
The locals each pay Sl2. 90 per
year per Capita Tax to the council
and the unions who meet in Trades
Council Hall, also pay reasonable
amount for rent. This of course is
assessed by the amount of me .tings
each union holds, some meet each
month, some twice and a few locals
meet every week. There is hardly
a night throughout the year that
meetings are not held in both halls.
The meetings of the central body
are very interesting at times and |
believe there is no other organiza-
ton that will surpass the Council
in the way of conducting meetings
and the manner in which the busi-
ness of the affiliation is disposed
of.
Every union is represented and
the delegates are called upon to re
port on trade conditions, in fact
everything pertaining to his union.
This gives the delegates fair idea
of what is going on with other un-
ions besides their own All griev-
ances that arise and in which local
unions are unable to adjust are dis
cussed by the council and as rule
committees are appointed and as a
result, most generally the grievance
is settled without any trouble.
The Council never acts hastily on
any matter concerning the local
unions and always makes a thor
ough investigation before taking
final action
Trades Council never locks for
trouble and if any exists among
the unions it goes the limit to ad-
Just them in the best way possible.
This also holds good with our mer-
chants and manufacturers, who
might on different occasions get
into slight misunderstanding with
a union. In all cases Trades Coun-
Gil tries to be fair and with this de-
sire it's officers and members have
done much for the laboring classes,
both union and non union, and also
the business men and manufactur-
ers. Some of the locals affiliated
with Trades Council are small
while others have large member
ships. No matter how large or how
small all are equal and have the
same privileges.
The Council is affiliated with the
Ohio Federation of Labor and al
ways sends representative to the
conventions, it is also part of the
Labor Legislative League of Butler
Preble and Montgomery counties.
Five delegates are sent from the
council and meetings are held in
Middletown, Dayton and Hamilton
quarterly. The Legislative League
takes care of the legislation at Col
umbus, and when necessary looks
after candidates who are friendly
to organized labor and some who
are not friendly. These proceed
ings and the business transacted
are resorted back to the centra
bodies in this district. and acteC
upon accordingly. Many organ
izers and representatives from In
ternational Unions have visited
meetings of the Cooperative Trade.
and Labor Council and often we
are told by them that the centra
body in Hamilton is just as gooe
as any connected with the A. F. o.
L., If not little better, and they
u ~