Crossville chronicle. [volume] (Crossville, Tenn.) 1894-current, 1919-10-29
WHAT UNIONS REALLY WANT
It Is Not "Freedom" They Seek, It Is Un-
ion Control They Are After.

The crux of the demands of the
labor group as presented to the labor
capital conference may be summarized
as follows: The right of wage learners
to bargain collectively, through unions
represented by agents of their own
choosing.
1t is a one-sided proposition. 1t
speaks of the right of wage-earners to
bargain in certain way but. assumes
that there shall be no right TO bargain
in any other way.
What the unions desire is not the
right, but the power, to bargain COL
lectively, and, under the form of
bargaining collectively, to dictate
terms to employers. Their object is
not bargaining out dictation.
The only truly American policy-the
only truly democratic policy-is for
wage earners to bargain collectively or
| individually as they may prefer aad as
they may be able to bargain with
employers.
Whenever an employee is compelled
to participate in collective bargaining
against his will, his right has been
taken from him and he is no longer a
free man. He becomes a subject of
the unoin and its agents, no longer
tree to take employment when he so
desires.
Wheneveg an employer is denied the
right to bal" ain individually with his
employsees, is right has been taken
from hin, Fl3o. and he becomes SUBJ
ject of the uuion and its agents.
The demand of the labor unions, as
suming to speak for all wage-earners,
although authorized to speak for rel
atively few, is an attempt to over
throw the first principle for which our
forefathers fought the American rev.
olution-the right to life. liberty and
the pursuit of happiness.
With the demand of the labor union
granted, the word liberty would
scarcely have place in our vocabu-
larry. Popular government would be
practically set aside and in its place
would be set up government OF, for
and by the labor unions an autocratic
government granting to the rest of
the people only so much slife, liberty
and happiness as might be necessary
to prevent revolt.
With the hand of the labor union in
control of transportation, in command
of steel production, in supervision of
coal production, and probably dominant
in the police service Of cities, there
would be no recognized rights of
farmers, ca tile growers, sheepmen,
horitculturists, dairymen, gardeners,
merchants, manufacturers, mine
owners, etc.
The proposal is the setting up of
government by class with defiance of
the right of jail not members of that
class.
wage e-earners nave the right today to
bargain collectively if they wish.
they also have the rightgto bargain in
dividUally They are in the full enjoy
ment OF unimpaired liberty of action
Forced bargaining through labor
unionis no maintenance Of liberty-it
is the destruction of liberty. Forced
subjectior to the mandates of walk
ingrdelegate is not tliberty-it is serf-
dom. Forced membership in union
as a prerequisite to employment is not
liberty--it as the very reverse.
1t is the plan and practice of labor
unions to limit production and to estab-
1ish a standard Of speed with consider
alton for the least efficient rather than
the most eficient.
THAT policy and Dratice has resulted
in un6er. r.prOGuction and has aided ma
terlally in bringing about the present
excessive cost OF living.
That practice CONT ayenes sound pub
lie policy and is unjust to the great
nlajority,of people who depend for sue
cess upon their own individual indus
try, enterprise and thrift.
Forced collective bargaining would
be a wrong-not alright. To speak of
it as a right is perversion of langu-
age.
Freedom to bargain either indivl-
dually or collectively is the only truly |
American policy, conducive to pro-
gress and promotive Of the public wei
fare.