The labor journal. [volume] (Everett, Wash.) 1909-1976, 1920-02-06
POSSIBILITIES
Of PRACTICAL
COOPERATION

The A. F. Of l.. Committee on
Cooperation sens out the follow
ing program, an recommendations
to local unions
To the Officers and Members Of
Local Unions:
This communication aims to l.
rect the attention of organized la
Dor toward the benefits and posi-
bilities of practical cooperation.
Every local union is urged to
consider the subject now and to
give at least $1.00 out of its funds
to promote the campaign for CO.
operation under the guidance of the
American Trade Union Movement.
At the Buffalo Convention of the
A. F. of L., 1917, a special commit
tee appointed by President Com
pers, under the direction of the
Baltimore Convention, held in
1916, made a short but clear report
which was unanimously adopted.
The members of this Committee
are all veteran trade unionists and
have been earnest co-operators for
years, and who know the pitfalls
that should be avoided in any CO.
operative enterprise. They know
that the pathway of cooperative eff
fort in all countries is strewn with
failures, largely due to lack of
knowledge, incompetenCy, indiffer-
ence, of proper safeguarding of
funds and in many instances to the
fact that sometimes eXploiters with
mercenary purposes have wrecked
the enterprise.
Criminal profiteering, to which
is largely due the high cost of liv-
ing, can be checked without any
legislative enactment only by the
cooperative movement. We have
it in our hands without interfer-
ence of Stae or Federal Govern
ment or any law making authority
to check the legalized, robbing
profiteering through the co-operat-
i've movement. We can check it in
so far as it affects the purchase OF
the necessities of life and the costs
thereof now controlled by a minor
ity, which is bleeding the giant
majority white through criminal
profiteering. Let us apply that
remedy.
The A. F. of l.. Committee on
Cooperation recommended to the
American Federation of Labor the
following short program, which
was unanimously adopted:
/. That a qualified trade union
ist co-operator be appointed by the
President of the American Fedora
tion of Labor to serve one year as
lecturer and adviser on the prac-
tical work of Rochdale cooperation.
2. That this appointee shall
have office room in the American
Federation of Labor Building in
Washington, which shall be the
center of information by corre-
spondence and otherwise on the
subject.
3. That he shall visit localities
in which cooperative societies are
in process of formation or have al
ready been formed, and give prac-
tical information to the officers
and members of sltch societies,
making out routes of travel for
this purpose, so as to conserve his
time and perform the work at a
minimum of expense.
4. That it shall be understood
that central labor unions and local
trade unions as such shall not form
cooperative societies, but shall ap-
point committees from their mem
bership to act in cooperation with
other citizens who are in sympathy
with the trade union movement in
assisting in establishing and up
building general cooperative
movement
3. That EVERY LOCAL TRADE
UNION under the jurisdiction of
the American Federation of Labor
be requested to contribute the sum
of ONE DOLLAR (S1.00) in order
to establish successfully the FEEDER
alton Bureau for promoting and
advancing the cause of true CO.
operation in the United States and
Canada
Your Committee has excluded
from its consideration all forms of
associated work which do not fall
within the limits of the Rochdale
cooperative system.
The simple principles of this sys-
tenn are:
|. A democratic organization.
2 One vote for each mem her