The daily Nome industrial worker., 1918-01-29
JOIN THE UNION.

Nearly 13 years ago, in the month Of April 1905, a number of the wage workers in this camp gather cd together and formed a labor union, now known as the old Red Card union. There were many charter members, some of whom are still mining, or prospecting in this vicinity.
 Those at that time employed in the mining camps at the time the Union was organized, werc glcd to come into the organization as they realized 1t would enable them to establish a uniform scale of wages. Prior to this time many of the ope- operators were paying as low as $2.50 day. while a few others were paying $3 to $4. The food as well as the unhealthy condition of buakhouSes at some of the camps prior to the organization of the local union was awfully dis gusting, and it's through the i2dom- able spirit shown by organized la Dor that the many hard fought struggles have been particularly won, which has made the existing conditions i1 the mining camp "such as they are" even tolcrable. It was practically during those stormy days that the present scale of wages was adopted, Gotwith- standing that since then, the neces- sary commodities to sustain life half way icceatly has increased al- most 50 per cent. It is due alto gether to tho work performed and the sacrifices made by tie union mon at the time, as well as tEe ac- tivity of today that the summer scale of $500 and board per day has been upheld, and it's t':e duty, as well as to the material interest Of all wage workers in this vicinity, 10 as soon as possible place their names upon tho membership roll books of either of the labor unions within this city, so as to be prepar- cd to recist any unnecessary tbro- Gation of the popular enforcement of tho general eight hour law.
 $500 per day including board has for scvera years past been generally accepted by the mire ope- rators throughout this section of the country as the union scale of wages duing the summer months. The claim which has often been heard to the effect that had there been TO miners union the wages and camp conditions would nevertheless have improved. The only individuals who deal in such absurdities are those spineless teaches, who always want to take adva~tage of the scale the union has established without going to the expense of paying dues to the organization for the time they are employed. Not a season, hardly even a ronti Gin the summer time) during the paGt 12 years but what some bum operator, or Gredge owner has attempted to beat his ws.Ce-slavc out Of his hard earned money. The firm resistance on the part of the union, as well as the editorial columns of the Industrial Worker, and notLing else, has been responsible for the failure of ma2y such efforts. But for the watchful- ness of tho union and it's readiness to put up a fight the summer wage scale would probably have bccn cut down any of these years since it's inception. It is now rp to the ua- organized wage workers to join the union so as to be prepGrcd to re- sist any contemplated reduc- ticn If wages in conformity with the general eight hour law when Inc summer mi2ing season com melcos.
 Thefc arc number of work CTS in this camp today-many of them work in the camps in this district during the summer season, who do not at present belong to the Union, others who are here often work in the outlying districts were the union secretary or delegate cannot reach them, who without any effort on their part arc getting the bene- fit of the union scale of wages. They must surely know there is