Denver labor bulletin., 1916-09-09

the general office had been made known
on April 22f
"The crux Of the whole situation lies
| in the contention that the wage agree
ment made with the Master Builders'
| Executive Committee by our general Of
ficers was entered into and concluded by
them without the knowledge and coop.
Grafton and consent of our district coun-
Gil executive committee. The facts are
these, and if We are right on the facts
| the law in the case will take care of
| itself:
"On March 8, 1916, the executive COM
mittee of our New York d. G. met the
| representative of the Employers asso-
ciation and the best offer by the em-
| ployers that could be secured was 30
d. C. committee proposed that the In
crease take effect August l., 1916, but
the employers committee declined to ac-
cept the proposition This conference
Was barren OF any results and dead
/ lock ensued until our general president,
with First Vice President Cosgrove and
Executive Board Member Guerin, went
May 5, and were most fortunate in their
efforts on behalf of our membership in
negotiating the increases in our wage
scale of 25 cents July l and 25 cents
September /, which virtually gives us a
50-cent increase on August !. This was
the d. c. committee's own counter-prop-
osition made to the Employers associa-
tion committee on March 81. 1916.
"Prior to this conference our national
officers were in consultation with the
full d. c. executive committee and the
officers OF the d. c. for over two hours,
at our own headquarters, on Friday fore
noon, May 5. and the d. @. executive
committee admitted their inability to
protect the jurisdiction of the various
branches of our trade claimed by other
organizations. They also admitted their
belplessness to obtain any further con-
ferenees with the Employers association
committee
This condition of affairs being ap-
parent TO all, it was agreed by the exc
cutive committee of the ID. c. that the
national officers should act on our be-
half to the very best of their ability
at the conference they were to have
with the employers on the adjournment
of their session with the executive com
mittee OF the d. c. The general presi-
dent called a meeting OF the members
] thru the officers of the D. C. executive
committee to personally impart the re-
suits of the conference he had with the
Employer association.
After the agreement on wages, when
we assembled in Cooper Union hall that
Saturday forenoon. May g, and heard
the general president give his first talk
to the members OF the New York dis
| trict, with all our district officers on
the platform, who applauded him, it was
gratifying to hear the comments of some
of the prominent members of the rank
! and file from the various locals. One
member said of the general president,
That man is talking sense another, He
is the first general president who was
big enough and man enough TO tell this
bunch what they should do and where
they fit;' another said, Our new gen.
eral president is evidently a man who
means what he says and is not afraid
to say it, and yet another, AT last we
/, have man with constructive policy,
man with a program, and one who
knows just what is the matter with
\ trade conditions in the New York dis
triet'
| In the light of subsequent events since
Saturday, May G, which show how fu-
| tile and disastrous were the methods en-
ployed, the unnecessary loss in wages to
| the members, the enormous debt incurred
by the New York district council which
will require large assessment fund to
| liquidatc, we ask the members to con-
I slider If the. time has arrived wherein
the whole membership would not be
much better served by discontinuing this
policy of obstruction, this effort on the
part of some of our supposed I. w. w.
members to spread the gospel of hate
| and to commend for our support pro-
gram of irreconcilable strife and conflict
The supporters and advocates of revolu-
tionary socialism were the canse of the
present trouble in the New York dis
| trict. The activity of its supporters,
even to the counsel, Morris Hillquit, en-
gagged in the rcent injunction proceed
| ings against the officers of the local and
national organizations. make it plain to
all observing members as to what ele
ment is in the saddle in New York dis
trict affairs and who are also reaching
out for control of our national organiza-
ton
'Tn spite OF the fact that the Ameri.
can Federation of Labor. our parent Ia
Dor organization. has been constantly
endeavoring to have labor made exempt
by law from the operations of injunc-
tions, which suits have cost US hun
dreds of thousands of dollars, it is de-
plorable to think that, rather than obey
the laws laid down in our national con-
stitution. the New York district Off
cials rcbellcd against the lawful author
ity of the general president and general
executive board, and. goaded on by in
visible government, should have recourse
to this hidcous weapon to fight against
their own local and national officers. Is
it any wonder that such action would
be resented by officials who honestly
tried to do their best in a very com.
plicated situationf This is not a quar-.
- IL \ y ~
ganization, but between the law-abding
members and a hoslY of disoTunted dis.