Newark leader. ([Newark, Ohio]) 1917-1946, 1919-08-29
OLD-TIME UNIONISM
Continued from pege 81

sum IOJdl OF ldDOf uIllOIlS III NeWdIh ~
twenty three years ago-just ten}
Today they number over forty, the
following being affiliated with the
Newark Trades and Labor Assembly,
as the central body is now called:
Amalgamated Association of Street
and Electric Railway Employees,
Amalgamated Sheet Metal Workers
No. 25O, Amalgamated Sheet Metal
Workers No. 522, American Flints
No.. a, American Flints No. 80, Bar
bers Local No. ia, Bartenders
League No. 412, Blacksmith and
Helpers No. 1923, Brewery Workers
No 1862, Building Trades Council, B.
& o. Local Federation, Bakers Union,
Cigar Makers Local Union n. 176,
Carpenters No. 1856, Electrical Work
ers No. 172, Engineers No. $50, S. &
O. F., Fire Fighters Union, Glass
Bottle Blowers Association No. "a,
Int. Brotherhood Boilermakers and
Helpers No. 90, Iron Molders No. 152,
Iron Molders No. 205, Icewagon
Drivers and Helpers No. 263, Licking
Lodge No. 8O, I. A. of NJ, Newark
Lodge No. 463, 1. A. Of NJ, Mound
builders Lodge No. 705 B. r. c. of A,
Musicians Local No. 1872, Painters,
Decorators and Paperhangers No.
1856, Printing Pressmen and Assist
ants No. 245, Plumbers and Steam
Filters No. 271, Retail Clerks No.
178, Railway Clerks Union, Station
ary Firemen and Oilers No. 438, Rail-
way Switchmen, Theatrical Stage
Employees and Moving Picture Oper-
ators No. II, Typographical Union
No. 50, Teamsters Local No. 258,
Tailors Union.
The officers and time and place of
meeting of the above locals are print
ed elsewhere in the official roster of
unions which appears every week in
the Leader.
There are several strong organiza-
tions in the city who have not as YET
identified themselves with the central
body, among them being the Brother
hood of Locomotive Engineers, Broth
erhood of Locomotive Firemen and
Enginemen, Order of Railway Con-
ductors, Railway Trainmen and Brick
layers Union.
This central body, now known as
the Newark Trades and Labor AS
sembly, was organized May 3, 1892,
and has had a continuous and pros
porous existence since that date. The
motto, "For Equal Rights" adopted
when the organization was effected
has ever been observed, and the har-
monious cooperation Of the delegates
composing the assembly has resulted
in greatly advancing the cause Of la
Dor in the city Of Newark.
Under the old trade union system
little bands of Workingmen eXerted
their energy along the lines of the
most narrow selfishness, but the ag-
gregation of industry brought about
by the machinery and force of this
new world has brought those small
bands Of organized workmen so close
together that they must have some
central point of contact. These are
found in the American Federation of
Labor, the State Federations of La
Dor. and local central bodies Of the
various industrial centers. Central
bodies, when properly conducted, are
indispensable as they inspire conf
dence among the people, as it is well
known that when a central body,
decides to use the most powerful
weapon thta labor has at its COM
mand - the "boycott" - that good
reasons exist for such action.
But if a central body is made a
piece of machinery to further the
aims of the offceseeker and place
hunter, or is used by the business
man to advertise his business by cast
ing odium on his competitors, then it
is a detriment Without a conserva-
tive central body, it often happens
that local unions will enter into an
indiscriminate endorsement of strikes
and boycotts, which as a rule, prove
of more damage than benefit to the
wage earners. With a central body
the arbitration committee must make
an investigation and report before
action can be taken.
The Newark Trades and Labor As
sembly has never dictated any action
Or assumed any power over local
unions. 1t has nothing to do with
political questions except where labor
is vitally interested locally, and even
then it refrains from participating in
questions upon which the political
parties are divided.
The American Federation of Labor,
with which the central body and the
locals comnoSinU If ara affiliated was