The Butler County press. [volume] (Hamilton, Ohio) 1900-1946, 1915-09-17
TRADE UNION MOVEMENT.
Wherever Better Labor Conditions
Have Been Won and Enforced 1t
Has Been Through the Effort of Eco
nomic Orsanizations-How the Miners
Got Eight Hours.

Has Been Through the Effort of Eco
Got Eight Hours.
The labor movement has not only
advocated the shorter workday for all
workers, but 1t has been the only pow
er that has been effective in securing
that ideal. In the old days when the
workers were slaves there was no
limitation to the hours that they were
purpose of all organized effort Of the
workers has been to reduce the hours
of work, and they have been success
full In their efforts. In very few places
do the workers now toll from dawn
until darkness. By raising the stand
ard and then realizing each successive
standard for the wage earners hours
of labor not only for organized work
ers, but for uDorganiZed workers, have
been reduced. Eight hours have been
the standard for men and women, but
not for children, as is declared in the
pamphlet The 4. Il. of l.. has done
more than any other organization to
secure eight hours for Americas work
ers, but it has always advocated the
adjustment of all child labor.
Wherever the eight hour workday
now prevails it is the result of the
power exercised by the economic or
ganiZation of the workers AS result
of this power of the trade union move
ment the eight hour workday now pre-
walls generally for the workers in the
following trades:
Carpenters and joiners; coal miners;
typographical printers; cigarmakers;
granite cutters; painters, decorators
and paperhangers; plasterers; plum
bers and steamfitters; fathers; tile lay
ers composition roofers; railroad teleg-
raphers stonecutters: marble work
ers; sheet metal workers; elevator con
structors; bookbinders; hodcarriers and
building laborers; brick, tile and terra
Gotta workers; cement workers: com
pressed air workers; steam engineers
lin building construction PAYERS, ram
mer men. flag layers, bridge and stone
curb setters paving cutters; plate
printers; printing pressmen; stereo-
typers and electrotypers; tunnel and
subway constructors: bridge and struc-
tural iron workers; asbestos workers
boilermakers and iron ship builders;
quarry workers; Il etal miners; flint
glass workers; slate and tile roofers;
cutting die and cutter makers; station
ary fremen; papermakers: photo en-
gravers; powder and high explosive
workers; dock builders and bricklay-
erS.
As the result of the economic power
of trade organization, legislation es-
tablishing the eight hour workday In
public work was enacted for the fol-
lowing states and territories:
Alaska. Arizona Arkansas, Califor
nia Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware
District of Columbia, Hawaii, Idaho,
Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky.
Maryland. Massachusetts, Minnesota,
Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada,
New Jersey. New Mexico, New York,
Ohio. Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylva-
MIA, Porto Rico. Texas, Utah. Wash
ington, West Virginia. Wisconsin and
Wyoming.
The federal eight hour law was Sc
cured through the efforts of the trade
unions. Even after that law was en-
acted the government authorities re-
fused to enforce the law, and its pro-
visions were nullified by administra-
tive and judicial interpretation Only
through the efforts of the economic or
ganiZations has that law been amend
ed so as now to be effective and it's en-
forcement secured
Wherever eight hours have been Sc
cured and enforced III any country 1t
has been through the power of the
economic organizations. Even in Aus
tralia. where the workers rely most
upon political methods, the eight hour
workday was secured by economic or
ganization before the workers adopted
their political policy
When the miners began their eff
forts to organize, the A. f. of l.. put
itself back Of that movement Where
the miners have built up strong eco
nomic organizations they have the
eight hour day, which was secured and
is enforced by the economic organi-
zation. For years the miners were un-
organized and suffered reduction after
reduction in wages, alternating the
work In week of days of long hours
with others Of no work at all--miser-
able. impoverished and serf-like! At this
moment great campaign is being con-
Quoted for the thorough organization
of the anthracite miners to secure the
eight hour day. The eight hour day
FER the miners was therefore not Sc
cured through legislation, but by the
misunderstood and misrepresented
trade union movement. The miners
of Colorado attempted to secure the
eight hour workday by law. but the
eight hour day was one of the demands
of the Colorado miners in their recent
strike. The official journal of the mine
workers plainly states in its editorial
columns that the United Mine Work
ers of America owe their successes to
economic organization.-Samu Com
ae.s