The Butler County press. [volume] (Hamilton, Ohio) 1900-1946, 1916-01-07
What High Dues Have Done
For Brewery Workers.
VALUE OF A RESERVE FUND
Prime Object of Trade Organization
Should Be to Provide a Substantial
Treasury--A Strong Bank Account a
Preventive Rather Than an Induce
ment of Strikes.
BY JOSEPH PRoEBsTLE,
Secretary International Union OF Unit

BY JOSEPH PROEBSTLE,
Secretary International Union of United
Brewery Workmen.
Whenever you find a workingman
who refuses to join the organization OF
his trade with the query Why should
] pay my money into your labor un-
tons?" you can take it for granted that
he Is one creature who wants to get
the benefit of all that which has been
accomplished by organized labor with
out any personal effort or sacrifice.
The American trade unionists know
that their labor organizations have
brought them hundredfold-yeS thou
sandfold-in return for their invest
ments, and If we analyZe the PROPOSE
tion we find that the returns grow in
proportion to our investments. AS an
illustration | take the brewery work
ers' organization
In 1885, when the brewery workers,
or, rather, the journeymen brewers,
organized, they were probably the most
exploited and mistreated workers Of
America, with the one exception of
the bakery workers The journeymen
brewers organization started out as
cheap dues paying organization: the
local dues were only % cents per
month, of which 10 cents went to their
national organization. The consequence
was-no local treasury and no more
funds In the national treasury than to
pay for the running expenses
The brewery proprietors. like all 9th
er employers, We're naturally aware of
the financial as well as OF the numeris
cal strength OF the organization and
decided to exterminate the organiZa-
ton If possible which they demonstrat-
ed by the general lockout of 1888.
While the employers failed in the
end, it nevertheless showed that If it
would have been any other industry
except the brewing industry the plan
would have succeeded.
From 1886 until the time when the
local dues were increased and the dues
to the national organization raised
from 10 to % cents per month. but very
slow progress was made In bettering
wages N. reducing hours.
Since 1853 the dues to the nterna-
tonal union as well as to the local
union have been increased again. so
that now the per capita tax to the In
ternational organization is 33 13 cents
per member per month"; without any
other except a seven dollar strike bene-
fit to each member. This gives the or
ganization q militant character and is
responsible for our progress in reduc-
tion of hours and increase of wages If
you stop to think that the wages Of
the brewery workers twenty-five years
ago were between $40 and $50 per
month for twelve to fourteen hours a
days work and that now the wages
are from SIS to $2S per week for an
almost universal eight hour working
day, you will come to the conclusion
that the Investments of these work
ingmen In the form of dues brought
thousands upon thousands of per cent
of interest to them.
Ii an organization carries benefit
systems, such as death and sick bene-
fits and out of work benefits, this
should not detract from the prime OBJ
ject of the labor organization, but
should be carried on on a separate and
distinct basis. An organization with a
cheap dues system which pays q death
benefit cannot be of any great help In
the economic struggle of the workers
Of their trade. The confidence of the
workers in their fights for better condi-
tions depends great deal upon the
financial ability of the international
organization to support them In case OF
an economic struggle We see in many
instances strikes inaugurated with no
ability to support them financially by
the international organization, and in
most instances these strikes are the
ones which result in defeats for the
workers.
I hope to see the time come when
every labor organization In America
will have a sufficient reserve fund 10
support its entire membership at least
for one months struggle. We have
found that good reserve fund is rath.
er a preventive than an inducement
for strikes.
While many members in the labor
organizations look upon the accumula
ton of funds by the organization with
distrust and disfavor, it is the only
safeguard for the stability of the labor
movement. hope to see the day come
when the labor organizations through
out the country will invest their money
In banks of their own-in "co-operative
labor banks" where the workers car
borrow in time Of peace to develoI
homes, pay back in small installments
and be able to get support in time oi
war instead of having the employers
in control of their funds through ar
rangements with the barks.-Americar
Federatiopist