Newark leader. ([Newark, Ohio]) 1917-1946, 1919-11-07
Workers. Rights
THE INDUSTRIAL CONFERENCE
A FLAT FAILURE
The Employers Disrupt Gathering and
Wanted Long End in Bargaining
Which They Did Not Get

Washington-The collapse of the
presidents industrial conference was
the logical result of the employers
opposition to collective bargaining
without a string.
The manufacturing group of the
employers came into the conference
with a so-called "open" shop declara-
tion and favoring means to settle dis
putes with no provision for arbitra-
ton and with the explicit statement
that the management must not be in
essential function of judgment and
direction" This means that the en-
ployers wanted the absolute and COM
plete control of wages, hours and
working conditions, as against the
trade unionists' demand that workers
be given voice in these proceedings.
The employers also declared that
each individual establishment, rather
than the industry as a whole, should
be, as far as practicable, considered
the unit of production, and that, "by
experimentation and adaptation" plans
should be worked out for the coop
GRAFTON of employer and employed.
In other words, the management of
each plant would negotiate with it's
employees without regard to other
plants, and ineffective company
unions" would supplant trade unions
that now speak for an industry. The
employers, of course, would continue
their employers associations and deal
with the various industries as a
whole, while they would insist that
their employees be split into small
shop units.
Industrial engineers, so-called Eek
perts," company union" advocates
and publicity agents of every de-
scription and kind aided the employ
ers in a strategy that was intended
to give labor the shadow of collect
i've bargaining and withhold the sub
stance. But the workers insisted on
the genuine article. They demanded
that they be treated as equals. They
refused to accept the theory of over
lords and industrial barons which the
employers group assumed.
This assumption of the employers
was again emphasized when they re-
jected this resolution by President
Gompers:
"The right of wage earners to or
ganize without discrimination, to bar
gain collectively, to be represented
by representatives of their own choos-
ing in negotiations and adjustments
with employers in respect to wages,
hours of labor and relations and con-
ditions of employment is recognized"
While the employers succeeded in
defeating the workers attempt to es-
tablish the right of being treated as
equals, they realize that the question
is not settled. In a statement to the
public press by the chairman of the
employers group he said the Com
pers' resolution was defeated by
vote of 10 to A.
In the conference the employers
were out-generaled by the unionists
who presented a clear-cut proposition.
The employers did not want to sur
render control of their employees.
Hence their opposition to collective
bargaining, not by direct methods,
but by camoufaging the steel trusts
so-called "open" shop and their own
made-to-order unions"
They favored collective bargain
ing" but along rules laid down by
them. Judge Gary expressed the idea
when, in refusing to arbitrate the
steel strike, he said:
81 belive in Cancellation, cooper
tion and arbitration whenever practi-
cable without sacrificing principle"