Evening journal., 1920-11-04
THE HIGH COST or STRIKES


r. IS a matter OF court record that
the Brotherhood OF Railroad Train
men has a reserve fund Of Si0,0OO,OOO
IN It's treasury.
The Senate investigation showed
that the Bituminous Coal Miner S
Union collects a minimum Of Sti OOO,-
600 a year dues from its members.
Political fights within unions, be-
tween individuals or factions, for CON
troll OF such lmmense sums as .hese
and for the power which such control
gives, are the principal reasons back
OF some OF In cOstlest strikes We
have had since the war.
All the underwear manufacturers In
CohOes, N. Y, were shut down for
over a month last spring-all their
producers idle-simply and solely be-
cause OF factional fight between two
rival unions.
Ninety-nve per cent-nine and one
half out OF every ten strikes in the
building trades last year, according
to a Senate investigating commission,
were called simply as incidents IN
fights between rival uniOns1 for au-
thority or jurisdiction or other forms
OF power.
The printers strike which cut the
wages OF a million and a half outside
workers; part OF the shipping strike,
which almost paralyzed Eastern in
dustry for most of this spring, and a
big proportion OF the other more
costly strikes we have had, have been
called and continued despite every
public protest and effort simply and
solely because OF some political fight
between union officials for political
control OF some union or group Of
unions.
Unquestionably many factors and
conditions contributed 90 the coal
strike. All factions among the coal
union ofilclals were undoubtedly
agreed on the strikes principal aim-
that OF keeping as many men as pos
slble in the union. But the.best inside
information is that the coal strike was
forced at the time and in the way Il
was, a breach OF The unions written
contract against the sure opposition
OF the government and public opinion,
by one group OF coal union officials
who were not in power 10 compromise
and possibly Oust the coal union on
/ cials who were In power, and that tha
coal officials who were In pow &C
tually went through with the strike In
/ open defiance OF the government AM
/ fought 10 ont with such ruthless dis
regard Of public cost and suffering
primarily 10 keep for themselves theiI
oiilces and their power.
One man used 10 set n locomotive
headlight Today four men have &c
do the job at far more than four times
| the cost, because each man has Il
wait TN another man does his par
and puts up his tools before he get,
out his own tools and does his part
all because OF union iealOusies anC
rivalries between different unions.
he doors that go INTO modern fire
| prOOnlng construction generally con
sist OF a core OF wood covered witt
metal For years, all over the cOun
| tryAa ilght has been going on between
The carpenters union and the meta
workers union as TO which has iurls
dlctlon over this kind Of doors. II
Boston, after a long series Of strikel
over this question 10 was decided tha
this was a metal workers job. In New
York, after a similar long series o
strikes, It was decided that il was
carpenters job.
Such strikes have, Of course, moth
ing whatever TO do with any relation
between labor and its employers. The
do nothing TO improve the living con
dltlOns OF labor. They do not raist
or seek TO raise, wages. But they d
a great deal 10 raise costs Of pro
duction and decrease the amount q
work and ther by ra'se prices TO Ia
Dor as we'll as 10 the rest OF IN
people
Moreover, the fact that senat
l.committe @ has discovered that 95 pc
cent OF all strikes in all the vas
groups Of the building trades are eu
tirely Of ms nature indicats hoy
great a proportion Of all strikes /
many other trades must be Of thl
b nature and the tremendous amount
OF the losses that the public Is beln
forced 10 nay merely because OF thes
q iealousies between unions.
II has been emphasized In prevlou
chapters that less than 30 per cent {
all strl2cs last year, according 10 gON
. ernment figures, We're primarily "a
I higher wages and that only a liitl
over half OF all strikes even mentiOne
' wages. Most Of these strikes whic
g were not for higher Wag $. and
very big proportiOn of even the'
strikes which did bring up the que
D ton, were primarily because Of iea
ousies or rlValries between unions
= between gronps OF leaders with
J. unions.
\ one million. nfty-lwo thousand iv
hundred and ffiy-siX men went
strike last year for reasons which O
rest OF labor or the high officials
labor refused 10 recOynize or open
condemned. Many, probably most.
these strikes brought mp the questiC
n of higher wages but all OF them we
actually due 10 iealousies and fgh
n beiwe n rival I'M 0ns or rival grOu
OF leaders within unions
And the only real difference b
; tween This FIRST class OF strike
}. caused by rivalries and iealousi
y which recognized labor officials san
- toned. and this second class
strikes. caused by iealodsies and ri
r alries which recognized labor lCade
p, did not sanction hut Outl7wed. w.
u that in the second case the iealOusi
T. and rivalries were directed against
contrary TO the interests OF the re
p ognized leaders themselves.
The modern labor movement.
n course, began because the avera
' worker without capital and absolui
lc ~ dependent on his job. could n
,- protect his own rights or advance
, legitimate interests against his po'
ID erful employers.
,e This is a simple Illustration on
n. small scale OF a condition that 4
u grown up in and permeates an orga
ized labor from the simple local uni
90 the great national and intern
tional amalgsmations and federtiol
NEWPORT NEWS NOTES.
Special TO The Evening Journal