The labor journal. [volume] (Everett, Wash.) 1909-1976, 1916-11-17
ONE FOURTH AND
FOUR FOURTHS
BY SCOTT NEARING


BY SCOTT NEARING
When the representatives of the
railroad managers and the railroad
brotherhoods met the president of the
United States in Washington they
spoke for the organized railroad in
dustry of his 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 rail
road managers in Washington repre-
scented four fourths of the railroads,
while the brotherhood officials repre-
sented one-fOurth of the men? That
is an easy question. The reason is
that while those who own the rail
roads of the United States are pulling
together as a unit, the railroad work
ers are not. The railroad managers
have learned their lesson; the rail
road employees still have it to learn.
The railroad owners pull together
as a unit In rate cases, in labor dis
putes, in all matters that concern the
general welfare of all of the railroads
of the United States, the railroad man
ayers get together, discuss their posi-
ton, appoint their representatives and
leave the question to them The rail
roads understand that IN UNION
THERE is STRENGTH.
The railroad workers are not a unit
More than four-fifths of the million
and three-quarters of railroad en-
ployees have no organization what
ever. The four hundred 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 be-
tween he managers and ALL of the
brotherhOOds. 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 A gain has been made,
however. The men have had a 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 &c STpEN-CTII
The railroad brotherhoods number
less than a fourth of the railroad en-
ployees. THE OTHER THREE
FOURTHS ARE UNORGANIZED. If
it is true that in 100 per cent of union
here is 100 per cent of strength, it
may well be true that in 20 per cent
Of union there is only 20 per cent of
strength.
What is the position of the brother
hoods?
The railroad business is changing
Notwithstanding less skill and less
bodily strength year by year. Electric
power, oil-burning engines, air brakes.
automatic couplers, and a hundred |
'ther improvements tend to decrease .
he skill and strength demanded of
he individual railroad worker. Train .
rews, like many other workers, are
eing rapidly transformed from
craftsmen into MACHINE TEND
IRIS. When the transformation is
the old-time need for
kill and strength are gone-almost
nyone, at two or three dollars day
an replace a railroad brotherhood
IAN, and with a little training do his
ork WHEN THAT DAY DAWNS.
HE CRAFT UNION DIES ON THE
AS IT HAS DIED IN
THEIR MACHINE DOMINATED IN
USTRIES.
IN UNION THERE is STRENGTH.
The railroad managers have learned I
lie lesson. When their representa-
YES talk they talk FOR ALL THE
The railroad workers have not
armed the lesson. When their repre-
'ntatives talk, THEY TALK FOR
ESS THAN A QUARTER OF THE
'ORkERS, banded together into five
aft unions that may cease to CO.
'erate at any moment
IN UNION THERE is STRENGTH.
Four fourths of the managers be-
we it and practice it, How long will
be before the workers learn the E
sson?
1t does not require much investiga-