The labor journal. [volume] (Everett, Wash.) 1909-1976, 1918-08-09
THE TINBERWORKERS UNION ASKS
THE WITHDRAWAL OF COL. DISQUE
The Tmberwokers Not Believe Col Brce r. Dlsque Is LII
Harmony With the Governments Labor Policy

! form of orders or bulletins to the
employers with Instructions that
! the scale of wages set is maxi
mum scale; employers, however,
seem to have liberty to pay less
than the scale if they choose, or If
the workmen do not have the cour-
age to protest, and,
Whereas, The claim on the part
of the representatives of the Inter
national Union of Timberworkers,
that the workmen have the right
to organize, is met by the Colonel
with the statement that while the
right to organize is fundamentally
right, this is not the time to re-
gard matters from the standpoint
of right or wrong, but that "Might
is right" and that it would be
harmful to the interests of the gov
crnment for the men to organize.
He is therefore using the forces at
his disposal to discourage the men
from organizing into legitimate
unions, and in some cases he has
through his representatives forcibly
broken up regularly called meetings
If the International Union of Tim
Derworkers, and
Whereas, The proneness of Col.
Disque, from our point of view to
disregard the rights of the workers;
his close continual association with
the employers, whom he does not
prevent from extending and per-
fecting their anti-union organization,
is entirely at variance with the
policies of the National Admins
tration as outlined by President
Wilson in his proclamation creating
the War Labor Board; and in his re-
cent letter to President Carlton of
the Western Union Telegraph Co.
! The policy of Col. Disque is having
the effect of causing the workmen
to feel the natural unrest and sus-
picion that the denial of the rights
long established always ential, and,
Wheras, Col. Disque has recently
held conference with the employing
lumbermen of the Northwest, and
secured their approval of extending
the functions of the Loyal Legion
to include that of a so-called labor
union, to be dominated by Col.
Disque and employers, carrying with
it declaration to operate during
and after the war; which organiza-
lion the Colonel says is most i'm
portant because 'the employers have
aiken the employees into partner
'hlp," however, we hold that it is
not within the province of any gov
ernmental agency to organize unions
Of any character, neither is it their
right to officially oppose a legiti-
nate recognized union. We further
| 1old that it is an unfair advantage
BENG taken of the workmen by
| he Colonel which we believe is in
'tigated by the employers, whom we
| feel are using the argument of "war
emergency" to hold outocratic dom
! nation over the workmen, now and
after the war. therefore, be it,
Resolved, BY the Executive Board
If the international Union of Tim
oerworkers, that we implore the
Secretary of War to withdraw Col.
Dlsque from his present field of
activities unless he modifies the
program that he is attempting to
put into operation to the extent of
re-establishing of the right of the
workmen to organize and to bar
gain collectively; be it further
Resolved, That we reiterate our
position of loyalty to our govern
ment at this critical time, and take
this opportunity to express the be-
lief that it will not aid in the es-
tablishment of democracy abroad to
ieny it to the citizens of our own
land which sentiment was so elo-
quently spoken by our great presi-
dent not so long ago; be it further
Resolved That copies of these res
olutions be forwarded to the Secre-
tary of War, and to the Secretary
of Labor, and also given to the
daily press, and that a copy be pre-
sented to all central labor organiza-
tions in the Pacific Northwest.
INTERNATIONAL UNION OF
TIMBERWORKERS.
c. COVERT, President,
RAY R. CANTERBURY Vice Pres.
j. S. MCDONALD, Vice Pres,
c. T. HUBERT, Vice Pres,
A. M. JONES. Vice Pres,
A. T. PICKERING. Vice Pres,
JNO. M. NORLAND, Secy.eTreas.
Smoke Chas. Sheets CHALLENCE
IA Es..w