The labor journal. [volume] (Everett, Wash.) 1909-1976, 1919-08-22

VI ClAlNoSO al Z lOl IuG
race riots that have disgraced the
city.
Ever since organized labor first
started to unite the stock yards
employees, the packers have fought
these efforts of the workers with
every weapon at their command.
Discriminating against union
men, they have fired them and
hired non-union men in their places.
In recent years their principal re-
cruiting points for non-union work.
ers have been in the South, and
non-union colored workers have
been brought here in great num-
bers just as they are being brought
here now by the railroads-or were
up to the outbreak of the race riots.
"Organized labor has no quarrel
with the colored worker. Workers,
white and black, are fighting the
same battle. The unions met the
action of the packers by starting to
organize the colored workers.
GAS soon as this work commence
ed, the packers started to fight the
unions with foul tactics. They sub
sidized negro politicians and negro
preachers and sent them out among
the colored men and women to in
duce them not to join the unions.
Their purpose in this, which
during the last several weeks has
borne bitter fruit, was to play upon
race prejudice and create dissension
between whites and blacks, which
would prevent the colored workers
from joining the unions and preju-
dice the white workers against them
for that reason. Notwithstanding
their efforts, the colored workers
came into the union in large num-
bers.
Squads of union organizers held
street corner meetings as the work
ers left the yards The packers
called on Captain Caughlin, of the
stock yards station, for mounted po-
lice to break up these meetings, and
Captain Caughlin, tool of the pack
ers, sent his bluecoats there to ride
down the men who gathered to lis
ten to the speakers. This caused
a strike of stock yards workers I'M
til the Federation officials and the
officials of the Stock Yards Labor
Council stepped i'm and secured the
transfer of Captain Caughlin away
from the yards and the cessation of
this cossack practice.
"The union planned a gigantic
mass meeting and demonstration to
take place Sunday, July 6, at which
white and black workers were to-
parade together throughout the
stock yards district and gather to
hear speakers in a public play
ground.
"On the last day before this
event, the packers called upon the
police and said they had informa-
ton that the negroes were arming
to assault the whites and they
the parade permit revoked
at least they wanted the negroes
and whites to march separately.
us not their purpose clear?
They succeeded in having the
whites and negroes separated into
Two parades instead of letting them |
march together. This was done,
but the marchers in the two pa
rades merged into one audience at |
The play ground to hear the speak |
ers. And there they fraternized |
peacefully and cordially-united |
workers.
"At every opportunity the pack
ers and their hirelings famed the |
Tres of race prejudice and the fires
If prejudice between strike
breakers and organized workers,
hoping for the day to arrive when I
inion white men would refuse to
work beside unorganized colored /
men, so that the union men, white
md black, could be discharged and
workers, white and black,
,ut in their places, until the spark
anne that ignited the finder piled
~ the packers and the race riots
'nsued.
THE only thing that saved the
ity from becoming a shambles was
labor. Night and day the