The labor journal. [volume] (Everett, Wash.) 1909-1976, 1916-02-04
appropriation.
THE STRUGGLE IN THE TIMBER
INDUSTRY

| O0SLE I'm TIE ! I'M Z h
INDUSTRY
One of the regrettable features of
the past year has been the disaster
that has overtaken the International
! Union of Timberworkers A con
densed history of the rise of that or
ganization, it's stormy career, the
causes that led to its decline is not
out of place in this report, as valuable
lessons may be learned therefrom by
the general labor movement.
The organization was born in 1901
in the city of Everett, the result of
wage strike among the shingle
weavers of that city. Starting as Lo-
cal Union No. 90S0 chartered direct
ly from the American Federation of
Labor, organization work among the
shingle weavers spread rapidly and
two years later an international union
was formed. From the day of it's
birth it was involved in strikes and
lockouts, the great Ballard strike of
1906 being one of the hardest fought
battles known in the Northwest The
men in that industry bore the charac-
teristics of their occupation and were
an aggressive, fighting body of men.
In it's early history it was marked by
the Industrial Workers of the World
for conquest and relentless war was
waged between that element and the
element believing in close affiiatiOn
with the American Federation of La
Dor For a period of years no con-
ventiOn was held that did not see the
introduction of a resolution advocat-
ing withdrawal from the American
Federation of Labor and affiliatiOn
with the Industrial Workers of the
World, and the proposal was always
the center of intense feeling and some
times acrimonious debate. Never
successful in debating the policy of
the organization, there was always a
strong radical element battering at
their walls from within, ably second
ing the disruption tactics of their fell
lows from without.
Industrial unionism seemed to be
the logical form of organization for
the timber industry, Here was an in
dustry similar to coal mining, exist
ing largely in isolated camps and com
munition, without the protection af-
forded craft unions in industrial cen
ters. The great majority of timber
workers were unorganized and all eff
forts to organize them along strictly
craft lines had failed. The instinct
of self-preservation seemed to demand
that the shingle weayers unionize com
pletely their industry and in 1913 a
charter was granted by the American
Federation of Labor covering the en-
tire industry An intensive organiza"I
tion campaign ensued. Your presi-
dent under instruction of the conven-
tion gave sixty days of his time as
sisting the officers of the Timber
workers in organization work. Woods
men and sawmill workers Joined in
large numbers and every element of
success seemed to be present.
In January, 1914, the international
determined upon demand
ing upon May 1st following, an eight
hour day in the timber industry. The
wisdom of that move will always be
open to argument 1t at least seemed
to that convention the wise thing to
do, trusting in the very fundamental
nature of the demand that the pro-
gram would appeal TO the thousands
of workmen in the industry as way
out of the unemployment situation,
which was growing worse. Unfortu-
nately the eight-hour program pro-
duced a sharp division in the ranks
of the Timberworkers. Some believed
it to be too radical a step for newly
organized men to take, others thought
the pending initiative measure pro
viding for a universal day of eight
hours should take prominence over
industrial action and on that ground
opposed the industrial demand. Mil
owners who had previously expressed
themselves favorable to a shorter
workday as a means of solving over
production suddenly changed their
friendly attitude Altogether, the op-
position was strong enough to force
an abandonment of the plan for adopt
ing the eight-hour day through indus
trial action.
Market conditions steadily grew
worse, many mills finding it impossi-
BILE to operate except at loss. This
class of plants faced one of two al