The labor world. [volume] (Duluth, Minn.) 1896-current, 1920-05-29

Painters union. The regular order OF.
business was transacted in the presence
Of the employers after. which a. fine
program Of music and speeches was
given. Then came. refreshments, .cou:
sistihg Of coffee, sandwiches and cigars,
Some good stories: were. told: all clean
and witty. Th. mas ter and man y
touched elbows::,'. Suspicion and dis:
trust had given way to faith and con,
hdence. The situation was ideal. Here
were true social well:being and indus
trial peace. - Z
Then came the Citizens: Alliance. :
composed largely of class conscious ;
employers and professional men Of the
old school who have not: yet caught
the spirit of the new: democracy in
industry. 1t was organized, a., was
declared al the outset, to- fight for the
';open shop; 1T began. its work. SIS:
tematically:: The, daily newspapers,
while usually short & news, space. on
account Of the high, cost of-pfint' paper;
give full pptlieit:! 10 snch activities
Of the 'allisnee as its officers wish the
public ITO know. They haven t said
ANYTHING, however, about the threat 81
the alliance to let no contracts to firms
that make union shop contracts With
their, employs. And since such a
threat was made things don't seem TO
be the same in the shops and on the
jobs. e Employers and unions no longer
meet in pleasant social pastimes. Their
relationship is: STR Aimed. =. ::
The, old union shop employers are not
keen about the "open shop Some
Of them have had costly experience
uuder it in .other days, and they dom
want any more of it; but what are they
TO do when the big interest, having
buildings to construct refuse. to give
them contracts if. they make union shop
,agreements' They did the only thin9
they 'eon1s do under the circun1sta nces
They resolved. for the ''open shop,
but they are still employing only union
n;en. !
The agitation for the. 'opon shop
is W holly unnecessary. Indeed il is
disastrou. TO Duluth. 1t has DESTROYED
this seasons building. An architect
informs us that. he had plans under
way for four apartment. houses but
the prospective builders have since
got ':cold feet TIE cost Of bhildine
did NOT discourage them 80 much As
the fear that their MONEY and: build,
ings would be tied up by. an "opei
shop strike.
A thcater was to have been built this
year on the site Of the st. Louis hotel.
The owners have decided. to :, put. it
over for wear or two, and for no
other reason than that they do not
wish to become involved in an ''open.
shop fight. They were not afraid of
the cost, for this is he*harvest time in
the theatrical business, and they are
now during this period Of high prices
building'. $2,ooo,ooo thsater in ST..
Paul. Busybod ''open' shoppers
scared them out here. That is all there
is to it,. =
When. the. "opeu shop was first
launched in Duluth Is years ago this
city had population Of $4,000. We
now have little more than. 9s, 900.
The growth in 10 years was. approx
mafel@.' 10000. The steel. plant and
the ; shipvards have. sinee been built
employing: together 1000 worknden,
whose families and deepen dents make a
population Of 10000 souls. That rep
resents Duluth's growth in 10 years.
Why haven t more industries come
Are the unions to blame.:~ The: metal
trades have not enjoyed the union shop
to any extent. In fact they are mostly
working in "open Shops 49,. ..~..~.
No, union labor is not to blame; and
none know: it'so we'll a. do the "open
shoppers, who try to make other peo-
pie, believe that the union shop pre-
vents the growth of n ..city. Labor
does not DESTROY: it builds. Tt does
not control the credit Of the city,. 1t
owns no banks. 1t does not close the
town against competitors in business.
That is the c>ly: kind Of 4: closed shop
there is in Dd luth, and it i. run BY the
very people WHO are shouting the. loud.
est for an open labor shop, which after
all is but shop closed to union men.
The veal open shop is the union shop.
There is no such things As . closed
union. 1t is open to: every worker
who may seek admission. The int iii.
gent men and women Of labor realize
that without organization they can do
nothing and can gain lit,le:' They cr-
sanize,' not because. they, want to, but
Of necessity. A'union without l. work
ing agreement with the employers of
its members can render little, good.
Onfy throurh tha. ur;on< sL,n ..4 -