The Butler County press. [volume] (Hamilton, Ohio) 1900-1946, 1920-12-17
To Fight Union Labor

Manufacturers associations, en-
ployers' associations, chambers Of
commerce and other organizations are
banding themselves together for this
fight against labor unions. They all
consider the fight to be their owr,
fight. They propose to go about it as
if each employer were the only one
involved, thus giving to the plan the
tremendous strength of all of them.
Each of the labor hating employ
ers proposes to put every ounce of his
energy into the fight. And when such
a vast number of powerful employers
and organizations do this in an or
ganized and united manner it is easy
to see what it means to the labor
movement
! Union Shop Attack Looms
"The next two years will witness
the most intensive attack on the
union shop. Every possible effort will
be made to break down the union
shop and re-establish the open shop,
or the non-union shop, i'll every indus
try in the country
"The principle of collective bargain
ing has already been violently and vi
ciously attacked by the coal operators
of Alabama, who have fatty, bluntly
refused to have any dealings of any
character or kind with the United
Mine Workers of America. Not only
that, but they have openly and fla
grantly defed the president of the
United States by refusing to obey tn,
order of the bituminous coal commits
sion to meet with their employees
This is the straw which shows the
way the wind is already blowing in
the fight against the union shop.
Fight of the Miners
1.-THE steel trust and all of the pow
erful interests which it represents or
controls are behind the Alabama coal
operators in this stand They know
if they can break down the United
Mine Workers of America they can
easily break down any and all other
labor unions whenever they see fit to
do so.
"The open shop campaign is in pro-
gress also in other industries. A ma
tion-wide organization of all the ele-
ments and influences that are opposed
to trade unionism are lined up against
the union shop idea. They have col
lected and are still collecting a slush
fund which is to be used to finance
the fight against the unions. Methods
will count for nothing, so long as they
can destroy unionism.
To Reduce Wages
There will be a great effort on
the part of these interests to hammer
down the wages of the workers within
the next year. Already this plan is be-
ing carried out Reports from many
places say that employers have posted
notices that their plants will close in
definitely unless their employees accept
reduction in wages. 1t is the in
tention of those who are carrying out
this scheme to force this same issue
in ether industries all over the coun-
try.
Everything that can be done to
cripple labor unions is being done and
will continue to be done as part of
this scheme to destroy them. Wher-
ever it is possible to tie up the funds
Of labor union this will be done.
Already 81, 100000 of the funds Of
TIE United Mine Workers of America
is tied up by law suits, and there are
other vuItures who are only waiting
IN opportunity TO make further at
tacks on the treasury of the union
If they can do this to the United Mine
Workers they can do the same to other
unions, as a general attac kon their
treasures and their funds may be ex-
pected.
Tempestuous Days Ahead
"These are some of the big things
that confront the labor movement of
the country today and the United
Mine Workers in particular.
"Sound, clear-headed, safe, tested,
experienced leadership, coupled with