Denver labor bulletin., 1916-12-09
ONE-FOURTHAND
FOUR-FOURTHS
By Scott Nearing

When the representatives OF the rail-
road managers and the railroad broth
erhoods met the president OF the United
States in Washington they spoke for
the organized railroad industry OF this
country The managers spoke for all OF
the railroad owners. The brotherhoods
spoke for less than one-fourth OF the
railroad workers.
How does it happen that the railroad
managers in Washington represented
four fourths of the railroads, while the
brotherhood officials represented one
fourth of the menl That is an easy
question. The reason is that while those
who own the railroads of the United
States are pulling together as a unit,
the railroad workers are not. The rail-
road managers have learned their lesson;
the railroad employees still have 1t to
learn.
The railraod owners pull together as
unit. In rate cases, in labor disputes,
in all matters that concern the general
welfare OF all of the railroads OF the
United States, the railroad managers get
together. discuss their position, appoint
their representatives. and leave the ques-
ton to them. The railroads understand
that in union there is strength.
The railroad workers are not unit.
More than four -fifths of the million and
three-quarters of railroad employees have
no organization whatever. The four hun
dred thousand men who do belong TO
labor organizations are in five craft
unions.
The negotiations this year between
the railroads and the brotherhoods were
carried on, for the first time, between
the managers and all of the brother
hoods. Until the last few years, the
brotherhoods have been at swords points,
and even today the feeling between
some of them is none too cordial.
gain has been made. however. The men
have had taste of the power that goes
with united action. They have learned
the first words of the lesson that the
managers have conned so well-in union
there is strength
The railroad brotherhoOds number less
than n fourth Of the railroad employees.
The other three fourths are unorgnnizcd.
II it is true that in one hundred per
cent of union there is one hundred per
cent OF strength. IL may well be true
that in twenty per cent of union there
il only twenty per cent of strength.
What is the position of the brother.
hoods2
The rnilroad business is changing rap
idly-demanding less skill and less bod
lily strength year by year Electric
power. oil-burning engines, air-brnkes,
automatic couplers, and hundred other
improvements tend to decrease the skill
and strength demanded Of the individual
railroad worker. Train crews, like many
other workers. are being rapidly trans
formed from craftsmen into machine
tenders. When the transformation l.
complete-when the old time need for
skill and strength are gone-almost
anyone. at two or three dollars a day,
can replace a railroad brotherhood man
and with little training, do his work.
When that day dawns, the craft dies
on the railroad as IL has died in other
machine dominated industries.
In union there is strength.
The railroad managers have learned
the lesson When their Representatives
talk they talk for all the railroads
The railroad workers have not learned
the lesson. When their representative.
talk, they talk for less than n quarter
OF the workers banded together into
five craft unions that may cease 10 CO
operate at any moment.
In union there is strength.
Four fourths Of the managers believe
it and practice it, How long will 1t b.
before the workers learn the lesson7