The Knoxville independent. [volume] (Knoxville, Tenn.) 1894-current, 1917-04-28
LABOR RALLIES
TO NATIONS AID
OPENS Union Door to Provide
Men For Government Shops.
WORK IN FEDERAL PLANTS

Loyalty by Letting Down Barriers
Against Nonunion Workers-To Mo-
biIize All Artisans.
For the first time in the history OF
union labor in this country, officers of
the internationals in Philadelphia say,
the barriers between union and non
union labor have been torn down in an
effort to mobilize the skilled artisans
for work at the navy yards and federal
arsenals. While the union men have
charge of this work, directed from the
headquarters of the American Fedora
ton in Washington, the nonunion arti-
sans are obtained as speedily as posi-
BILE and sent to the federal plants.
Plans for the labor mobilization have
been worked out by Assistant Secre-
tary of the Navy Roosevelt, Secretary
of War Baker and Albert J. Berries,
secretary of the metal trades depart
ment of the American Federation OF
Labor at Washington.
Charles r. Scott, international deputy
organizer of the Boilermakers, Iron
Shipbuiders and Helpers, and William
A. Kelton, business agent Of the ma
chinists of the Philadelphia district, ex-
planned the mobilization.
There is no union and nonunion
labor as far as our labors are concern
ed" Scott said, "aud if the newspapers
would only publish this mobilization
plan any nonunion man who wants
work would know where to come. We
have forty recruiting officers all over
the country getting boilermakers, ship.
builders and men for navy yard work.
"And it is hard job. There are so
many private plants which pay higher
wages than the government. that while
the labor men are patriotic they also
have to, take Tito consideration the
high cost of living. But the govern
ment, through agreement with the
labor leaders, suspended the eight hour
I law So a man can work ten or fifteen
hours now if he wants to and gets
time and one-half for all overtime. In
that way he really makes more money,
if he only knew it. than under the con-
tract system.
/, This mobilization was up to US, and
I it IS the first time we tore doW2N'r4Ee
barriers against nonunion labor. We
believe that working with union men
they will become unionized. though
| and that this crisis only means a
strengthening of our forces. We fought
the bill to permit the government tc
| commander labor, and when the teeth
were taken out of the bill it was up tC
US to make good. And that is what We
are doing We keep a census of the
men we feel that we can get, ant
when Secretary Berries sent US wore
we got to the front and got bus.
bringing in the skilled men. We ar
lust as much recruiting officers as any
body getting men for the army ant
! navy"
Under the mobilization plan all unto
men are asked to submit their names
addresses, classification of the servic
and if they will accept federal employ
ment. These are sent in duplicate
international headquarters at Kansa
: City, from where they are forwame
to the army and navy departments
When there is a shortage of men tn
bureau heads at Washington send Wor
to Berries. The civil service examine
for the district in which the navy var
or arsenal is situated is given Il list {
men, and he personally visits the cal
didates at their homes. If they pas
: they are given transportation to til
navy yards or arsenals.
Whenever the supply of labor is il
adequate the international officers G
+ about the country seeking nonunio
! men willing to accept government en-
r ployment. They present their name
s to the civil service examiner, and
: visits them and obtains their qualific
tons.
Scott said he would not seek ar
war machinists," as he termed Il
Is munitions workers who had focked
# those plants and had had no trainir
o as machinists in peace times.
J. Business Agent Kelton of the NJ
It chinists' union said he had made eve
10 easier arrangements to handle his Ell
% at Philadelphia. He said all intern
l. tional officers had made arrangement
,e with the civil service examiners
have them telephone whenever the
was an emergency force required.
Kelton has had all the machinists
:, this section card indeXed. togeth
I, with the number of nonunion men WI
!, might be available. AS soon as he l
ceives the word Kelton will have &
:, local officers busy rounding up me
union and nonuEion, to be sent to t
:, Parkway building, where they will
:. first examined by Keton and othe
9 and if found efficient will be sent
= the Federal building for civil servi
. examination
' II have put hundred men in Leag
:. island alone" said Kelton land '
= make no distinction We figure tn
= these men wifi join the union anywj
= after they have been working in t
= navy yards for time. We get pc.
= ers, too, from the Civil Service Boa
= showing the number of men requir
y at the various federal plants. and
= there are too many for governme
= purposes here we see that they h4
= their fares paid to other places whe
IL