Evening journal., 1920-10-30
THE HIGH COST or STRIKES
Chapter VI
Strikes and the Inefficient Distribution of Labor
BY MARSHALL OLDS
Copyright 1920. New York Tribune l

NNfii 'oNe -'"~of ANCW Aoth iAibuhS
lnux and influence of this new and
heretofore nOndescrips labor.
Not only, therefore, did these tre-
mendOus groups of new war workers
want TO stay in their new industries
instead OF going TO their old work,
but the unions which they had join
ed and In which they became such an
influencing factor did not want them
TO 90 back, because il would mean
loss OF membership and so Of income
from dues and OF power to The
unions.
Moreover, union officers were quick
10 see not only that they could main
tain the strength OF their unions, but
that they could increase their own
hold on their unions in proportion as
they made II a personal and union
policy to keep these men in their pres
ent Jobs.
The war was over in November, 1918.
In December, 1918, the FIRST OF the
great after-the-war strikes occurred
among the employees Of the General
Electric Company The one and only
real reason why the strike was called
was TO fOrestall the action union lead
ers feared the General Electric Com
pany might take OF reducing It's work
ing force to its pre-war strength OF
old and able employees by releasing
It's half trained special war workers
10 ther former occupations.
The leaders Of this strike en-
phasized frankly and openly that the
paramount thing they were striking
for was "A instead Of iS-hour week.
I'm order mat their union members
might be continued in their present
Jobs As a matter OF fact certain OF
The strike leaders at Schenectady
openly emphasized this point TO the
extent OF insisting that every union
member should, If it became neces-
sary work only half time-Of course
at sufficient rate OF income 20 main
tain his same scale of living all the
nme-in order that every union
brother" might be continued in en-
ployment.
This frankness, however-thls open
insistence that the main object Of
the strike was TO keep more men in
| a given amount OF work than that
work would legitimately support
was undoubtedly one OF the chief
| reasons why the strike failed For
The older skilled workers who had
served their apprenticeship, in the
trade and had been five, ten or fifteen
years IN their present jobs could
naturally not see the equity in being
] .''hNN w HtANA AAAN| AnLAI pay anu per
maps IN cir own Jobs by striking sole
/ ly in order that half skilled men who
had already enjoyed a year or two
/ or pay out OF all proportion 90 their
efficiency and draining should be arti-
/ ilclally maintained In these special
privileges instead OF going back TO
the work where they were needed and
| belOneed.
This strike was lost. The principle
/ That union merely for It's own ad-
vantage, or rather That union officials
lQr thelr own advantage, 81 Ould be
allowed TO insist that production
efficiency in their field should arbi-
/ iarily be lowered and the cost OF pro-
dueton be arbitrarily increased by
/ forcing The employment Of three men
to do the work that two men could
easily and normally do was repudiated
/ chleily by the older and more skilled
workers themselves. 10 is interesting
| 10 note. however, that in spite of the
defeat OF this strike and of the in
I etilclent, expensive principle lh at this
strike was undertaken To enforce
undoubtedly because they were de-
feated and the past efficiency and
economy OF production maintained
the increased demand for electrical
| equipment and the entrance Of fhe
| General Electric Company into GER
tain new fields actually kent employ
ed practically all This special war
labor at or at better than war wages.
! During The General Electric strike
the strike leaders emphasized TO the
strikers and TO outsiders that the
/ principle for which they were strik-
ing-of reducing hours in order IN &
all these extra war workers mh.ht be
Kept in their lucrative war Jobs. in
stead OF being rel ased TO their pre-
war Jobs, where they were so vitally
lneeded-Was one which al organized
labor had unanimously determined to
uphold And this much we know
That this strike, admittedly on this
/ principle, had the backing Of many of
the officials Of the American Fedora
tiOn OF Labor.
Just before the war ended the cloth
ing workers struck for a forty-f0ur
hour week which would and did so
cut production that 80 per cent more
men would be kept at work and in. the
union.
In this case. however as has pre-
viousy been emphasized. the strikers
were in a particularly favorable
NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS.