Denver labor bulletin., 1917-08-04

the great meaning, the value of the
power of unity.
Millions of men here in America do
not yet dream of the immense fnan-
cial value to them of unionism
Less than three million men realize
the power of unity in the shop.
And how few they are compared
with the rest of the workers in Amer
lea, Let us look at what unity has
done for them.
They have the shortest hours, the
highest wages, the best treatment.
They have hope, confidence, self
respect.
They have to an extent emancipated
themselves from subjection to individ-
ual oppressors, vile conditions, low
wages and long hours; yet even they,
the most intelligent of the working
class, do not yet understand the full
power of unity.
Think what it would mean if every
man, woman and child who toll in this
country should be bound together in
bonds of perfect brotherhood
Think what they could do in case of
strike or lockout or any difference
whatever with the powers that rule
this worldl
If they would all unite how quickly
they could bring tyranny to its l1neesl
OF course, the unity must be first
of all and above all the unity of men
in the shop, the mills, the mines and
the factories.
Every dollar of that immense sum
that is spent for non-union goods is
spent to break down the unions.
When strike is on, union men all
over the country send their contribu-
tions TO support the strike.
They do all in their power to sup
port their brother unionists when they
seem to be in trouble, but the little
strike. which you aid here or there by
contributions is nothing compared
with the evil your millions of dollars
do in supporting non-union products.
When a unionist spends $40 a month
buying scab products he is trying with
great big hand to pull down the
unionism which his poor little dollar of
dues to his union is trying to build up.
When a union man gives a dollar a
month to support his union he Is very
proud of himself as a good unionist.
He thinks himself a philanthropist. |
suppose he thinks that that miserable
dollar a month will build up a pow
erful trade union movement. But it
never can while he continues TO put
many dollars a month into ten-cent
stores and the purchasing of the prod
ucts of prison and scab labor which is
cutting the very ground from under
his union.
Suppose every man of the three mil
lion trade unionists in this country
considered it a crime to buy prison
products or scab labor products; sup
pose the merchants knew that every
penny of the billion and half dollars
spent by these trade unionists would
be spent only for union Goods, what
would you see?
Every store in this broad land pat
ronized by workingmen would have a
big union label over its door. Mer-
chants would themselves advertise the
union label, and manufacturers would
produce union products and hire union
labor or go bankrupt If union men
bought right, they would not have to
strike so much.
That, brothers, is the power of unity
in the small matter of spending a
weeks wage. The buying power of
labor, if exercised in unity, would
solve many of the problems of labor.
Back of every union fighter, back of
every strike, back of every industrial
battle would be the power of three
million men and the power of bill
lion and half of real dollars spent
each year.
Every dollar spent by union labor
for union goods is money in your own
pocket, Think of that!