The labor journal. [volume] (Everett, Wash.) 1909-1976, 1919-08-08
CONSTITUTION AND LAWS OF
THE ONE BIG UNION

ed into two classes, those who possess
and do not produce, and those who
produce and do not possess. Along
side this main division all other
ClassificatonS fade into insignific-
ance. Between these two classes a
continual struggle takes place. AS
with buyers and sellers of any COM
modify there exists a struggle on the
one hand of the buyer to buy as
oheaply as possible, and on the other,
of the seller to sell for as much as
possible. so with the buyers and sell
ers of labor power In the struggle
over the purchase and sale of labor
power the buyers are always mas
ters-the sellers always workers.
From this fact arises the inevitable
class struggle.
AS industry develops and owner
ship becomes concentrated more and
more into fewer hands, as the con-
troll of the economic forces of society
become more and more the sole prop
erty of imperialistic finance, it be-
comes apparent that the workers, in
order to sell their labor power with
any degree of success, must extend
their forms of organization in ac-
cordance with changing industrial
methods. Compelled to organize for
self defense, they are further com
PEELED to educate themselves in prep
aration for the social change which
economic developments will produce
whether we seek it or not.
The one Big Union. therefore,
seeks to organize the wage worker,
not according to craft, but according
to industry; according to class and
class needs We, therefore, call
upon all workers to organize ire
spectiVe of nationality, sex, or craft
into a workers organization, so that
we may be enabled to more success
fully carry on the everyday fight over
wages, hours of work, etc, and pre-
pare ourselves for the day when pro-
duction for profit shall be replaced
by production for use.
Name
Clause /. The name of the or
ganization shall be the ONE BIG
UNION.
Membership
Clause .. Membership in the O..
E. U. shall be open to all wage
workers
Initiation Fee
Clause 8. The maximum initiation
fee to be charged by local units for
new members shall be One Dollar.
Shop Cards
Clause 4. Union shop cards shall
be issued to those local units desiring
same for display in such places of
employment where all the employees
are members of the O. B. L.
Certificates
Clause 5. Certificates shall be is
sued to Central Labor Councils and
District Boards and isolated units;
said certificates shall designate the
jurisdiction of the organization to
which they are issued.
Executive Board
Clause 6. A General Executive
Board shall be elected consisting of
a chairman, secretary and represent
atives of the various industries
(number to be set by the next con-
Vention).
Clause 7. The General Executive
Board shall be elected for period of
six months by and from the duly ac-
credited delegates attending conven-
tions. The Executive Board shall re-
main in office until their successors
are elected. The wages of the Of
ficers of the General Executive
Board shall be $4,000 per week. ElX-
penses of organizers away from
home shall be $4.00 per day.
Clause S. The members of the
General Executive Board shall act
as general organizers; they shall at
all times be in active touch, and con-
Versant with, the industry which they
represent, and shall be at all times
under the general direction of the
chairman.
Clause 8. 1t shall be the duty of
the chairman to preside at all meet
ings of the General Executive Board.
He shall have charge of. and be re-
sponsible for, the general admins
tration of the organization.
Clause lot shall be the duty of
the general secretary to keep a true
account of all monies received, and
all monies paid out; he shall deposit
all monies or cheques received BY
him in such bank or banks as may
be named by the Executive Board:
he shall be at all times in a position
to render to the Executive Board an
account of the financial condition of
the organizations: he shall keep the
minutes of all meetings of the Gen
eral Executive Board in a book pro-
vided for that purpose; he shall pay
all bills when satisfied of their cor
rectness, and shall sign all cheques;
he shall be bonded in a responsible
surety company for the sum of five
thousand dollars (s5000) and the
bond shall be approved of and paid
for by the General Executive Board.
Recall
Clase II. A member holding Of
flee on the General Executive Board
must at all times maintain his cred
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