The labor journal. [volume] (Everett, Wash.) 1909-1976, 1919-08-15

2
| ton, our membership has increased
in numbers in all districts and with
! it good results have been accom-
| plished, in the way of hcttcrmcnt OF
| conditions for our members, inCrcas-
! ing wages, shortening OF hours, etc.
! The most beneficial and permanent
| improvement is that OF greatly in
! creasing our membership, for organ
ization Is of first importance and
without II all other gains would be
| lost faster than we have accom-
| plished them. II matters not how
great the advantages given to us by
| our employers, without any effort
on our part, during an abnormal fl
| nanCiallY prosperous period, for thcy
cannot be counted as gains, simply
! because the employer can take them
away from us just as easily as he
| gave them to us. But if we are or
ganized and accomplish advantages
we will also be in position because OF
our collective bargaining power, 70
! hold the gain, and make it lasting
result.
While we have made great gains
! in membership, we have not gained
as we should under the Circumstance
| es, for there never was time when
conditions were so favorable. There
is a shortage of labor in all districts
and the lumber market is more ia
| Vorable than at any time since we
| can remember, and in spite of this
| great increase in lumber prices, the
employing lumbermen are not adj
Vancing wages to any extent except
| where we are organized or where we
are attempting to organize, so it
seems that workmen would wake up
to their pitiful position and get into
| l. oil he. &c 10
| who are employed in the organized
districts, who are not yet members
of the union, would see the differ
ence in conditions there and where
no organization exists, and would
| flock into the union. But we should
be well satisfied because the gains
we have made are substantial and
not ola mushroom growth. We are
building slowly and solidly.
We hear the cry from the en-
ployerS that we are unreasonable in
asking that wages be increased at
this time and explain that when
wages are advanced it only adds to
the cost of living and that we are
no better off. This. perhaps, is true
in some cases, but in the lumber
industry it is not working out, for
lumber and shingles have advanced
to prices never before heard Of and
the workmen have not received any
advance in wages to speak of, as
general thing, throughout the Unit
ed States except where they are
unioniZed, and the advance there is
nowhere in comparison to the adj
vance in the prices of lumber pro-
ducts So wages did not raise the
cost of lumber. However, if it is
agreed that they did, why is it that
lumber prices have gone so high in
those long hour. low wage districts?
There are places in the United States
today where men are working for
S2.25 a day and II hours per day.
Perhaps some casual reader Will
question my statements on the lum-
Der market conditions, so I will
quote extracts from editorials taken
from the official journal of the West
Coast Lumbermen's Association of
the August l issue. They follow:
THE memory of man runs not to
the time when the present condi-
ton of the lumber market was ever
duplicated in this country. Condi-
tons now prevail which even opti-
mists had considered likely to de-
Velop some five or ten years hence.
THE market has ruled strong dur
ing the past two weeks. 1t is eX-
cited in spots. The price on certain
items has advanced out of all pro-
portion, due to a demand literally
coming from everywhere. With a
little extra export buying and little
railroad buying, one can conceive of
all kinds of things happening to the
lumber market. One of the interest
ing features of the situation is the
fact that the buyers under present
conditions are paying practically no
attention to price. BY some strange
psychology, the matter of price en-
ters very little into business transact
tons of any kind these days.
The country is solid on the idea
that it must build. and it is building
splendidly and it is going to con-
tinue to build through the fall and
through the winter where possible,
and then on into next spring and next
summer. There isn't any doubt about
this"
Single prices are also high and
the demand is strong. There is a
little cooperative shingle mill in
Washington which has been in op-
Grafton but a short time, and they
are all out of debt now. They have
paid off $500 per month per man
working for the concern during the
four months closing August /, This
is besides paying the top wages to
all.
The lumbermen are not really
worrying about the high cost of liv-
ing. They are more interested in
making it higher. Considering prices
today on lumber products, the lum-
herman could easily pay IS per day
for common labor. Still they raise
their voice in horror when we ask
them to pay wages enough to guar
antee three meals per day. There are
many men working in the lumber
ing industry today whose families
are actually in want.
Conditions are being improved in
Michigan, Wisconsin and Minnesota
since our organization has been so
active there. We fid this true any
where we start to organize. The
employers at once commence to get
interested in their men and advance
wages and improve conditions in an
effort to satisfy them to keep them
from joining a union, which will
enable them to get what is actually
due them. Brother c. O. Young,
who has charge of the organization
campaign there, and his corps of or
ganizers are doing splendid work and
soon they will be in position to get
together with the employers and
work out greatly improved conditions
and no doubt considerable advance
in wages. 1t is hoped that soon the
eight-hour day will be granted in
that district Organizer Young, in
conjunction with the International