Denver labor bulletin., 1917-04-14
LABOR PRESS AND NATIONAL OFFICERS
COMMEND MOVE TO ABROGATE UNJUST
CANT STRIKE" LAW IN COLORADO
News Articles and Editorials Campaign Being Waged
Labor Unions and Rule of Action Reproduced in Over
Two Hundred Papers; Some of the Comment
Shows Nationwide Interest.

No movement ever inaugurated by
union labor in Colorado has received
such widespread favorable commenda-
tion in the labor press and among ma
tional labor officials as the determina-
tion to abrogate the compulsory serv-
ice features of the Colorado industrial
commission law. News articles and
editorials printed in The Bulletin have
been reproduced in whole or part in
thruout the United States. Also they
have been printed in the Weekly News
Letter issued by the American Fedora
tion of Labor.
Had organized labor of this state
permitted itself to be lulled into ac-
ceptance of this act after the legis-
lature had been given an opportunity
to repeal the erty-destroying pro-
visions of the act, it would become a
menace to every wage-earner in this
country. Organized labor everywhere
has been quick to note the rule of ac-
tion laid down by the Denver unions
to ignore the "can't strike" sections
of the law until such time as the high
courts have held them constitutional.
There is, of course, no real danger that
law which violates the constitution
of the United States will be held legal
by any court of record. That is why
the commissioners sidestep every
chance to have it tested.
Just so that readers of The Bulle-
tin may know how the attitude of
Colorado labor is viewed thruout the
country we herewith print editorials
from three leading labor papers, as it
would require two or more pages to
print all such editorial expressions
coming under our observation:
minneapolis Labor Bulletin.)
The Denver Typographical Union is
the first to take action to resist the
application of the Colorado cant
strike" law in the adjustment of wage
agreements. At its last meeting
vides that the union shall in no way
recognize the right of the Colorado
industrial commission to in any way
interfere with the unions negotiations
with publishers or job office proprie-
tors in the making of scale agree
ments. This puts the matter up to
the commission in "cold turkey" fash
ion. Under the law thirty days notice
must be given of any proposed wage
changes or working conditions, failing
to do which the offending parties are
subject to arrest and Imprisonment.
A similar law has been a dead letter
IN AuSIralla IOT many years because
the unions took the same stand as that
taken by the Denver Typographical
Union, and we predict the same fate
for the Colorado law if the unions of
the state stand firmly behind the ini-
tiative of the printers. Any law com
pelling a man to work for any corpor-
alton, company or individual against
his will means slavery, and the Civil
war settled that question conclusively.
The decisions of these industrial COM
missions are all right when both par
ties to the controversy are satisfied,
but there is no law that gives such
commission power to prevent one or
more men quitting work if dissatis-
fed, or that prevents the employer
discharging one or more men if the
award does not meet with his appro-
val, and quietly, but effectively, ignor
ing the decision