The copper era and Morenci leader., 1916-11-03
MINERS DISCUSS
 CLOSED SHOP''

A large number of miners gath cred at Dreamland Hall last even- ing for the purpose of listening to the addresses of the delegates to the Globe conference now engaged in the work of forming the Ari- zona branch of the Western Fed 1 eration of Miners
 | John l.. Donnelly Of Miami, open 1 ed the meeting with a stirring ad- dress on the good that organization has done for the workers. He com i pared the present conditions with those that existed forty years ago, and said that the modern worker ought to 1 be proud that he lives in this day and age, when all things are possible He condemned the ron-union man who refused to affiliate because he could do better alone, and declared that i'm proved conditions existed only be- cause of labor organizations. Con- corning the proposition of the clos ed camp, to discuss which the meeting was called MT Oonnelly stated that 1 every camp should be organized for the reason that a non-union camp is a menace to the organized camp. He said that vigorous work should be be- gun by the union men of Arizona, to organize all camps which are at pres ent without union, and to better the organizations where they do exist.
 MT. Donnelly then introduced lose Carbajal, of Clifton, who spoke in Spanish. Joe Sullivan, of Bisbee, thCn spoke briefly comparing the ad
 vance of labor in Arizona with that of Colorado \ He reviewed some of the aiJstices which are still done to labor
 i this state citing among other things
 the physical examination system of
 he Copper Queen in Bisbee.
 Following MT. Sullivan, Y. Larrea, the grievance adjuster of the Clifton union, spoke in Spanish. George Pow ell, president of the Miami Miners
 Union, then delivered an address which brought forth repeated applause from the miners present.
 MT. Powell began by stating the several avenues by which progress in
 the world of labor is accomplished.
 He spoke of the progress of organized ' labor, from the first meeting of the first organization in America, to the : present time, when the American Fed eration of Labor is counted among the powerful institutions of the United States. He spoke of the achievements l of organization, and pointed out the , better working conditions which ob- | tcill iON- iISJCdu OI tlS IOHS hOul Q,
 and small wages which were custom = ary formerly. Then he turned to the tasks which labor has yet to accomp- fish, and said that among other things the closed shop was necessary to } make every worker secure. The speaker declared that government
 was nothing but closed shop, where
 the union of society could force those
 who did not wish to conform to it's
 rules, to toe the mark. Powell then
 concluded his speech with the state
 ment that a weak union was the most
 dangerous kind of a union because the
 smaller the membership the smaller
 the number which could call a strike,
 throwing a camp into state of chaos
 and upheaval which all deplored. Such a union is a menace alike to the , employer and the worker, said MT. , Powell.
 H. S. McCluskey, organizer for the , local miners union then made short but impassioned speech. He declared those persons who through fear of
 impending trouble joined the union ,, last summer, and then dropped out
 because nothing occurred. He called
 such persons moral towards" He
 stated that the proposed contract call , ing for the closed camp had been
 drawn up and needed only the en-
 dorsement of the union for presenta- ton to the managers. He called on all those who were non-members and wanted to prevent this step to get in
 their cards, or they would be treated
 as non-eXistent and the contract would go to the employers in spite of
 them. The only way to have any in- fluence in the world of organized la ; bor is to become a member of the la
 Tor unions, said Mr. McCluskey- in t closing his address. Globe Record. .