The labor journal. [volume] (Everett, Wash.) 1909-1976, 1917-03-02
FRIENDLY PUSH TO
TIMBER WORKERS
(By Joe Thomas)

When the Aberdeen and Hoquiam
Trades and Labor Councils endorsed
the activities of the International
Union of Timberworkers, and when,
later, the convention of the Washing
ton State Federation of Labor held
at Everett, Wash, took similar action,
when all the officials of the entire
delegation stood up for the morgan
lied lumber and timber workers, and
extended to you the hand of fellow
ship, aid and encouragement, then at
that moment another chapter was
written in the annals of Labor history
on the Pacific Coast.
For it must be remembered, that
the American Federation of Labor
seldom endorses any attempt to or
ganize independent, unaffiliated bod
les. Hence their endorsement of our
activities, their pledge of moral sup
port, and the passage of the resolu-
ton, which has very great bearing
upon the question or the organizing
of the lumber and underwriters of
the Pacific Coast states.
We organized the International
Union of Timberworkers as an indie
pendent body, built from and with
the former members of the Single
Weavers, Sawmillworkers and Woods
men Union, which was affiliated with
the A. F. of L.
Therefore the sincere support given
US by Mr.. Charles Perry Taylor, sec
rotary, Mr.. E. P. Marsh, president,
and Mr.. V. T. Evans of Aberdeen, vice
president, together with all other
members of the Executive Board of
the Washington State Federation of
Labor, and all the Harbor delegates;
Mr.. Martin Flyzic, president of Dis
trict No. 10 of the United Mine Work
ers of America; Mr.. VIM. Reid, editor
of The Shingleweaver, and Secretary
of the Shingleweavers International,
Mr.. Brown of the same union, Com
rade Olinger of Everett, besides the
unanimous, undivided and enthusiast
tic support of all the delegates to the
convention, is highly creditable. All
these personalities and the organized
workers in whose name they act and
speak, pledged us their hearty moral
support and promised aid and assist
ance in the work of organizing the I'M
organized proletariat employees in this
the basic industry of the great North
west slope.
What does it mean to us?
What does this mean to you, you
workers in the sawmills and camps?
1t signifies sincere desire on the
part of these men and the organized
labor in the A. f. of L. on this Coast
to see us organized.
1t means the realization on their
part that we all must rise together!
1t means the awakening of one hun
dred thousand organized men on this
coast who know that we are a great
factor and must be considered in the
general scheme to obtain greater free
dom and better life for all the work
ers, regardless of affiliation, who live
in timber regions.
1t signifies that organized labor ex-
poets us to make the move, to take
the action in our own behalf!
Organized labor, through its trusted
men of action, is ready for us!
Are we ready to respond with a
sincere, true and brave counter en-
couragement?
Are we wise enough, courageous
enough and manly enough to avail
ourselves of this opportunity to grab
organized labor by the hand and let
them give us helping pull?
Three millions of organized workers
hold out their arms to us and say:
"Come workers! Come comradesl
Come brothers."
Of course, this does not mean that
we can go in the same old way of
inaction and indifference to our pitt
full condition of hard labor, long hours
and poor pay.