Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1919-12-30
LABOR DEN0UNCES
TENTATIVE PLANS
OF CONF FERENCE
Failure of Presidents Board
To Recognize the Right of
Collective Bargaining Is Sc
vereIy Criticized.
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Washington. Dec %. Suggestions Of
the presidents Industrial conference
Tor The settlemenl OF labor unrest
urew lire touay from organized la
Dor IN the tirst Of the puplic discus
sionS invited by the commission in its
report, published Today.
samuel Gompels, president of the
American FeOerauOnf of Labor. said
the tailure OF the conference to rec
ognlze definitely the organizations Of
workers--trade unions--as the basis
tor representation was a fatal omis-
sion while Frank Morrison, secretary
of the federation, noting the absence
OF reference bV the conference to COLI
lective bargaining or for the necessity
FOR organization of workers, said any
one who wouEd avert or postpone in
dustrial conflicts could not ignore
these principles.
Mr., Gompers declared the commits
sion should reconsider the question of
definite recognition Of trade unions lin
order to make possible the confidence
and cooperation of wage earners
which can be expressed onIy through
organizations of their own making"
No Compulsory Labor.
ANY plan to establish or maintain
anything like fair relations between
workers and employees must avoid COM
pulsory features he declared. ANY
proposal for compulsory labor is re-
pugnant to American sovereignty and
citizenship"
Mr. Morrison said the declaration
against government employees Joining
the A, r. of l.. would indicate that
the commission has been affected by
the temporary wave of anti unionism.'
The statement" he added, offers
no hope for lovers OF industrial peace,
who see the necessity of abolishlng au-
tocracy in industry and giving en-
ployes a direct voice in their working
conditions.
1T is 10 solution TO empower. the
president and n cabinet official to Sc
lect representatives of workers to adj
lust disputes. The workers must have
this power themselves"
Finds II t'nintcrcS ing
Mr. GOmpers said that except for its
opening declaration, he had found
nothing new and little of interest,"" in
the conference report,
'In the opening statement" Mr..
Gompers continued, "the report sets
forth the right relationship between
employer and employe in large indus
tries can be promoted by the deliber-
atiNe organization of that relation
ship" hut Ahe report tails to give defi-
mite recognition to the application of
this truth. Both employers and en-
ployes must be organized in order to
become responsible parties to any sys-
TEN of mediation or arbitration--oth-
crwise the arbitration tribunal must
deal viii h individuals instead of organ
ized groups, The principal of repre-
Sentatlon depends upon organization.
THE failure Of the conference to
recognize definitely the organizations
of workers trade unions--as the ha-
sis for representation is a fatal omis-
sion. Certainly the conference should
reconsider this point in order to make
possible the confidence and co-opera-
ton of wage earners which can be
expressed only through organizations
of their own making.
ANY plan to establish or maintain
anything like fair relations between
workers and employers must avoid
compulsory features. The mass of
Americas workers are American citl-
2ens and in that sovereign citizenship
they are free men. ANY proposal for
compulsory labor is repugnant to
American sovereignty and citizenship
In order to promote constructive
and and permanent changes that Will
eliminate causes of much industrial
unrest the conference should consider
governmental agencies to provide the
necessary information and assistance
in securing continuous betterment of
working conditions. That problem
must ultimately be worked out by
and employees, but the gov
ernment should advise and assist
ut should always be borne in mind
that our social fabric Is based on
and voluntary institutions.
ut is something not yet fully un
derstood how perfectly safe freedom
is"