The labor journal. [volume] (Everett, Wash.) 1909-1976, 1920-11-26
Will the Public
Listen to This?

Organized labor is aware that big
business is thoroughly organized
and equipped to wage a war of ex-
termination against unions and un-
ionism, but the public has not yet
learned of the impending battle. The
public cannot learn this through
reading the privately owned press
but the public will have its full
share of suffering when it happens.
The Social Action Department of
the National Catholic Welfare Coun-
Gil makes the following statement:
The "open shop" drive of certain
groups of American employers is
becoming SO strong that it threatens
not only the welfare of the wage
earners, but the whole structure of
industrial peace and order. En-
ployers sometimes favor the "open
shop" because they do not want to
be limited in the employment of
men to union members. But the
present drive is not of that kind.
The evidence shows that in its or
ganized form it is not merely against
the "closed shop" but against un-
ionism itself and particularly against
collective bargaining. Of what avail
is it for workers to be permitted
by their employers to become men,
bers of unions, if the employer
will not deal with the unions? The
workers might as well join golf
clubs as labor unions if the present
"open shop" campaign is success
full.
The "open shop" drive masks un-
i
Plan" and hides behind the pre-
tence of American freedom. Yet
it's real purpose is to destroy all
effective labor unions, and thus sub
ject the working people to the COM
plete domination of the employers.
Should it succeed in the measure
that it's proponents hope it will
thrust far into the ranks of the
underpaid the body of American
working people.
The Bishops of the National Cath
olic War Council who issued the
program of Social Reconstruction
said: 1t is to be hoped that this
right,-the right of labor to organ
ize and to deal with employers
through representatives will never
again be called into question by
any considerable group of employ
ers." The Archbishops and Bishops
of the United States in their Past
oral Letter proclaimed again "the
right of the workers to form and
maintain the kind of organization
that is necessary and that will be
! most effectual in securing their
welfare"
During the war the National War
Labor Board recognized and protect
ed genuine kind of "open shop"
one which assured the non-union
man freedom and the members of
the union the right of collective
bargaining. That is not the kind of
"open shop" for which the drive is
now being made.
The unions were necessary even
during the war when working people
found their labor in great demand
They are still more imperative now,
and they must keep their strength
and grow. Otherwise we shall see
repitition of the old bad days
when the workers were utterly de-
dependent upon their employers.
There is great danger that the
whole nation will be harmed by this
campaign of a few groups of strong
employers. To aim now at putting
into greater subsection the workers
in industry is blind and foolhardy.
The radical movements and disturb
ances in Europe ought to hold a
lesson for the employers of America.
And the voice of the American peo-
pie ought to be raised in the en-
deavor to drive this lesson home.