The labor world. [volume] (Duluth, Minn.) 1896-current, 1916-11-25
BIG FOUR"
MUST MERGE
SAYS 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 this country. The man
ayers spoke for all of tie 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-
sented four forrths Of the railroads,
while the brotherhood officials repre-
sented one-fourth of the men? That
is an easy question. The reason is
that while thoser Who own the rail-
roads of the United States are pull
ing together as unit, the railroad
workers are not. The railroad man.
ayers have learned their lesson; the
railroad employees still have it to
learn.
The railroad owners pull together
as 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
managers get together, discuss their
position, appoint their representatives,
and leave the question to them. The
railroads 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
employees have no organization what
ever. The four hundred thousand
men who do be'ong to labor organi-
cations are in five craft unions.
The negotiations this year between
the railroads and tho brotherhoods
were carried on, for the first time,
between the managers and all Of the
brotherhoods. Until the last few
years. the hrotherhoows have been at
swords points. and even today the
feeling between some of them is none
too cordial. A gain has ben 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 manag-
ers have conned so well-in union
there is strength,
The railroad hrotherhoo6s number
less than a fourth of the railroad en-
ployes. The other three fourths are
unorganized. If it is true that in one
hundred per cent of union there Is
one hundred per cent of strength, it
may we'll be true that in twenty per
cent of union there is only twenty
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. Elec-
trio power, oil-burning engines. air.
brakes. automatic couplers, and a
hundred other improvements tend to
decrease the skill and strength de-
manded of the individual railroad
worker. Train crews like manv other
workers, are being rapidly trans.
formed from craftsmen into machine
lenders. When the transformation ia
com plete-when the old time neel for
skill and strength are 'gone-almost
anyone, at two or three dollars a dav
can replace railroad brotherhood
man, and with a little training, do his
work When that day dawns, the
cratt union dies on the railroad as II
mas died in other machine dominated
IluuSLrleS.
I'm union there is strength.
The railroad managers have learned
the lesson. When their representa-
yves talk, they talk for all the rail-
roads.
The railroad workers have not
learned the lesson. When their rem
resentatives talk, they talk for less
than quarter Of the workers, banded
together into five craft unions that
may cease to Cooperate at any mo.
ment.
IN union there is strength,
:. Four-tourths Of the managers be-
heve it and practice it. How long
Will it be before the workers learn
the lesson?
Smart Fall SHIFTS DIN ~ dog