New-York tribune., 1919-10-27
The One Big Union

The suggestion that the unions in
the American Federation of Labor
unite with the farmers and other
unorganized bodies of workers to
control industry, and possibly to
sovletlze 1T, is intended to strike ter
ror to the heart of the public. Yet
1t may not do that. Organized labor
may have less power to exploit it's
own interests at the expense of the
community, if it is combined in one
big group, than it has now, sepa-
rated into many distinct and loosely
allied units.
Under the present arrangement it
is easy for small minority to in
trench itself and pursue an inten-
sively selfish policy. A strike in one
trade or one branch of industry ordi-
narlly doesn't pinch the public. Peo-
pie don't visualize indirect economic
results. If they are not noticeablY
affected they look on a strike as a
remote disturbance and conceive Of
1t as mere quarrel between work.
ers and employers. They do not see
that any adjustment which lowers
production and makes industry less
efficient is a blow struck at every
body. SO minor, localized strikes at
A.
sum of them adds invisibly to the
cost of living.
The existing theory of labor
unionism is that small minorities
may continuously advance their well
fare at the cost of the rest of the
community. In order to get the best
results these minorities must remain
small. All the tyranny in the world
com IS from the seizure of power by
limited groups. They exploit the
less aggressive groups. Organized
labor can therefore secure the maxi
mum benefit for itself without much
resistance on the part of the COM
munity if 1t remains split up into
minor and highly militant organi-
zations. If these merge. into big
union and draw IN other elements
nltherto passive, a much smaller
outside mass is left to exploit. If
the one big union grows big enough
1t must exploit its own members al
the same time that it is exploiting
outsiders.
Anything like general strike OF
a long-continued reduction Of the
volume Of production would defeat
It's own ends. The factory laborers
would suffer if agriculture should bt
suspended. The farmers would suf
Ter II transportation and factor,
production should be tied up. The
evils of such dislocation of norma
lie could not be shunted from the
shoulders of the unionists TO th.
shoulders of the non-unionists
Every group that works at all woulf
be drawn eventually into the one bi,
union. Then policy of selfish ex
ploltation for the benefit of snal
sub groups would become imprac
ticabe.
Inc one big union if carried to il
logical conclusion would probabl
result in return to older cond;
tions. The nation is one big union
Loyalty to it is loyalty to the com
mon interest. This feeling has bee,
perverted in the labor union philos
ophy of to-day into loyalty to SOM
small clique or Fictitious class with
IN the state. We have now the m,
big union, politically, although on,
government has so far never real
ized the implications Of that sitna
ton. IL has not fought selGs}
minoritics, as it should have fouph
them 1t has often sacrificed III,
interests of the whole To interest.
Of various noisy parts. But as be-
tween the majority and o njnorit,
sassslnS out In ths open and sttsu at