Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1919-08-19
FEDERAL union
DELEGATES ARE
HOLD MEET
Propose Organizing More Govern.
ment Employees As Result of
San Francisco Convention.

An official call from the National
Federation of Federal Employees
was issued yesterday from its
headquarters in Washington, to the
local unions Of that federation all
over the United States. inviting
their delegates to a convention.
Rock Island has union, and is
included in the call. The meeting
will be held in San Francisco. Cal,
at the Hotel Argonaut. beginning
Sept. 8, and will last probably
throughout the week There are
four cities in Illinois where the
headquarters of locals are situat-
ed. The other three are East St.
Louis, Chicago and Peoria.
The San Francisco local, which
is the pioneer local of the fedora
ton, and will be the host on this
occasion, is making extensive prep
aIations both for the work Of the
convention and for the entertain
ment Of the delegates.
The national federation of feder-
al employees, which is affiliated with
the American federation of labor.
includes government workers Of
all occupations and grades who are
not exclusively eligible to other
national trade union organizations
chartered by the American fedora
ton of labor. Thus its membership
reaches into all departments of the
government, both in the District Of
Columbia and the field service;
such as customs, internal revenue,
immigration. light house, coast
guard. Indian. forestry, fisheries,
animal and plant industry, steam
boat inspection, penitentiary
guards, custodian service in pub
lie buildings, navy yard. ordnance
stations and all other civil
$ranches of the government. Now
ae<he close of the third year of it's
existence, the national federation
of federal employees includes 142
locals in 42 states. with a total
membership of nearly $4,000
To Organize More Extensively.
The work cut out for the conven-
ton, in line with general purposes
of the federation. is suggested in
the text of the official call:
u OduEn the AElu anu
means for the organization of the
yet unorganized workers of the
government, to strive to bring
about more effectually than ever
before a better day in the lives and
homes of these workers; to defend
and maintain by every honorable
means in our power the right to or
ganize for our common defense and
advancement, for the exercise OF
our normal and constitutional &C
tivities, to protect and promote the
rights and interests of the work
ers; to assert at any risk the equal
rights before the law of every |
worker with every other citizen; |
TO aid our fellow-workers against |
the effort to entangie the workers !
in the meshes of litigation before |
the courts in the several states; to |
make effective in our everyday !
lives the principle declared in the
law of our republic (the Clayton |
law, That the labor of a human
being is not a commodity or article |
of commerce. to arouse our fell |
and fellow-citizens to
NE danger which threatens to curb j
or take away their guaranteed |
rights and freedom; to meet the
new problems arising out of the
war, and while serving, struggling
and sacrificing for justice and free
dom abroad. to safeguard these
priceless heritages in our own be
loved land; the maintenance of de-
cent standards of life, work and
home in war or in peace times.
These and other great questions of
equal Importance will. of necessity.
occupy the attention of the San
Francisco convention
Representation in the convention
is based upon units of 100 mem
Ders. local unions having more
han l 1000 members being allowed
/ maximum of five delegates.
It is very probable that during
his or next week the Rock Island
ocal will elect some of its mem
1ers as a delegation to attend this