El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1919-07-03
WOMEN WORKERS
WILL ORGANIZE
Plan Congress to Get Pay
Given Men For Same
Amount of Work.


Washington, d. C.. July s.-What is
to be woman's place in industry in the
new world peace, after it 5 estao-
lished? What lasting marks, if any.
has the part played by women in in
dustry during the war left in this
country And, Of vital interest 10
the women themselves. what is to lie
their wage as compared with tae wage
of men?
These are questions which the labor
department through is bureau OF
women in Industry ana Lnre4SA It's
employmenz service and the labor hu-
reaus in various states are now at
tempting TO solve
Women have been engaged IN indus
try in this country for years Some
persons seem TO have discovered for
the first time, since the war began,
that women have been engaged in
industry. As a matter OF fact. there
was a huge army OF WORKING women
in the United States long before the
war 1t was fortunate, indeed. that
this was so, for these women, al
ready trained TO factory Work ana
the handling Of machines, were called
upon to engage in the essential war
industries. turning out materials for
the men at the front More and more
OF them We're called upon to take. the
places of men who Joined the eolors-
The Investigations conducted thus
far indicate that comparatively lew
women in this country entered the
industries for the first time after the
outbreak Of the war and until the
armistice was signed This skaters
another popular belief that has grown
up- The women who went into the
factories to make shoes for the SOL
diers and sailors, who made uniforms,
who engaged in the manufacture OF
all kinds Of munitions were the Wom-
en- who before TIE war had been en-
gagged in similar work In fact 1t IS
estimated only five percent OF the
women engaged in so called war Work
in the industries did work that was
different from the work they had been
doing before These women LETT OIL
their work for the so called unesSen-
tial industries and entered factories
which were making equipment or
munitions. or the factories themselves
were converted into equipment ana
munition making houses
Demand Equal Pay
For years a fight has been Wased
to obtain for women the same pay
that is accorded men for similar work
The replacement OF the men in indus
try who we're called into the service
BY women during the war and the
capable manner in which they filled
the mems jobs have given impetus
to the demand that they be given sim
liar wages. This demand OF the Wom-
en- is going to be made more strongly
than ever now
In the draft OF the treaty Of peace
with Germany the provisions relating
10 labor is found a statement Of gen
eral principles" The seventh in the
list reads
~The principle that men and women
should receive equal remuneration Tor
work Of equal value
The American FEDERATION OF Labor
has gone on record in favor OF eoua !
paw for women doing the same Work
as men. The convention OF the Ma
tional Women's Trade Union league.
meeting in Philadelphia renewed It's
demands for equal pay Tor equai "orA
by men and women
To Hold Congress.
At the same convention OF the won :
en- workers it was determined 70 hold
/ in Washington next October, just pre-
cedinx the international labor confer
ence provided for in the peace treaty,
Ian international congress OF working
women Woman labor leaders from
all PARTS Of the world are expected 70
attend this conference the purpose OF
which is 10 voice the women's demand
for equal nay. equal representation ~
the policy making councils OF the IN
/ ternational labor bureaus, and Tor
adequate provisions for dealing WITH
+ the special problems OF the woman
/ workers in all countries
! The attitude Of the trade union mer
/ eneaged in the industries which
women have entered. particularly the
metal trades is that they VIII mol
/ oppose the " omen provided they re-
Z ceive the same WAGES as the men foi
teh same work They will. however
[ strongly oppose their entrance inte
I new occupations. hitherto held oi
men alone. II they are going 10 IN
Z derbid the men workers.
& Are Tnor@nnized-
Notwithstanding this attitude ~ tn'
men. the women who replaced mef
and did their work except in a com
parativelv few instances. have no
/ received the same high wages as tn'
men. In the first place the woinei
are not organized and the men IN th'
industries believing that they vert
4 only working to meet the war emer'
I rencv. and that they would re re-
tired after the emergency failed I.
attempt to orranize them. But Wiz
the signing OF the armistice- II ma;
Abeen clearly indicated that MANY o
! these. women are in these Jobs q
stay. The employers in MANY tacIo'
ries have determined to retain tn'
women and are doing So Inaf pens
the case. the question of equal pa,
for women and men Is being asitate'
I in urrrV places