Cayton's weekly. [volume] (Seattle, Wash.) 1916-1921, 1919-11-15
OPEN AND CLOSED SHOP

American flag waves. The day of that in
fanny has passed forever. 1t cost hundreds
of thousands Of precious lives and millions
of money to wi pc out that foul stain upon
our country's good name But the task
was done, and thoroughly done. Labor is
no longer the employers property. 1t is
the laborer's property, his to dispose of
when, where and how he pleases.
No man nor any group of men may die
tate to the American what disposition he
may elect of what is his own, unless he vol
unfairly assign that authority to Others If
he does not make that assignment then he
is forced to labor for whom he will and on
such terms as he WILL and in the exercise
Of his fundamental right of the American
citizen to work for a living at any lawful
employment he is entitled to protection in
his person and property, even if it be neces-
Sary to call in all the armed forces of the
Republic to afford him that protection.
All this ought to be aXiOmatic but some
how there seems to be a good deal Of con
fusion Of thought on the subject. An i'm
preston seems to prevail that when a num-
Der Of men of a certain craft organize they
become dictators as to who shall not work
in that craft. If they are dissatisfied with
their terms of employment they abandon
that employment in body, thus bringing
pressure to bear upon their employer to
compel him to meet their terms.
All of which they have perfect right to
do. If they stopped there their position
would be impregnable. But, unfortunately,
in many and indeed, in NOSE cases, they do
not stop there. They refuse to work them
selves and they refuse to let others work.
They assume continuing prOprietorship
in the opportunity to labor whcich they
,lo 4hox,
doncd that opportunity They undertake to
maintain proprietary right in 1.-THE job
which they have abandoned. They accuse
others who would work Of taking away
their "job.' The ''job' that is the OPP
portunity work, was never theirs. 1t is
the employers; it is as much the employ
erS as is his own labor the labOrer's The
striker assumes a title to what never law
fully was his The laborer who would glad
" take the abandoned opportunity to work
is rcvied threatened, his wife and children
terrified he himself assaulted, manned and
often murdered
But the field of coercion does not stop
there. 1t is extended and expanded to the
"cIosed shop In the closed shop no man
may labor until he has affiliated himself
with the union in control Of that shop and
subjected himself to it's dictation and it's
penalties. He may not want to JON the
union. He may be bitterly opposed to re-
linqishing his industrial freedom. But 1t
makes no difference. Until he has relnq-
uished that freedom he cannot work in that
shop.
SO. here we have an organization rising
superior to the law. 1t forbids what the
law declares shall be the American citizen s
privilege 1t forbids the American citizen
to earn his living by lawful employment,
free from coercion and on such terms as
may meet his approval. 1t refuses to the
employer permission to give work to such
a free applicant. That is the closed shop.
The open shop is one wherein neither
membership nor nonmembershp in labor
organization is essential to the American
citizens right to work. There is no dis
elimination for or against the labor union.
The opportunity to labor is free and open
to all who are equal to the task and content