The labor world. [volume] (Duluth, Minn.) 1896-current, 1920-09-04
none AGAINST II buI|Th0SE WHO
WOULD DESTROY POWER OF UN|0NS
Democracy Industry Can oay Be Obtained and Preserved by
Application Of the Principle Individual Worker Helpless With
out It. Does Not Imply That Workers Shall Assume Control.

Collective bargaining means
that the organized employees Of a
trade or industry, through repre-
sentatives of their own choosing.
shall deal with the employer or
employers in the making of wage
scales and working conditions.
Collective bargaining is the only
practical proposal for adjusting
relations between the management
and the workers in a business,
way, assuring fair deal to both,
= Each individual joins with his fel-
low workman to ask. collectively for
better wages and conditions Of en-
ployment that he could not secure
through his own efforts alone. An
employer OF, say. 500 men, has an
unfair advantage If he deals with
them as individuals. TO make the
employees equal in power and influ-
snce to the employer they must be
organized. and through regularly
chosen representatives. meet the EN-
ployer on a common footing. BY con-
ceding points on each side an agree
ment can be finally reached that will
maintain better relations and there
fore greater industrial peace.
Labor Stands Alone.
In no other walk Of life does the
idea exist that man must arbitrar-
lily accept any offer that may be
made by another. There are two
sides always to an agreement. Each
side ought to have equal chances to
propose and insist upon what It con-
siders a fair agreement.
Industrial peace can be secured on
ly by the righttns Of wrongs suffered
by the workers. # bady Of work
crs has grievance it can be adjusted
only through conferences with the
employer or his Representative. Al
all cannot meet the employer at one
time it is necessary for them to Sc
lect representatives to carry out thei~
will al expressed collectively. This
right IL identical with that always
held by the employer and never chal-
lenged by the law or the public. -
Right of Representation.
In all spheres Of activity in which
employers business men, public men
and citizens generally have any mat
ter In which their interests are IN
VOWED, they not only avail them
selves Of appearing BY their own rep
resentatives and counsel OF their own
choosing; whether In litigation be-
fore the courts or In business rela-
lions. but they are guaranteed even
by the constitution Of our country the
right to be heard by counsel. The
claim OF the workers in this respect
is founded upon the same tundamen-
tai beneficial princip}e--the right of
tho workers to-. b represented by
counsel @not lawyers), representa-
tives OF their own number and of
their own choice.
For instance; in 1reat industries
such as the iron and steel industry,
the employees have nothing to say az
to their wages and working condi-
tons. They work II hours a day and
every two weeks, in changing from
day to night work, they are required
to remain at their task for - hours
straight. This has been the practice
since the industry has been organized
into corporations. There have been
much opposition and grumbling from
the employees, but these have never
reached the heads Of the corpora
tons or II they did, found no re-
spouse.
Had No Choice.
The employees were unorganized.
/ Collective bargaining, except for q
short time years ago with a small
number Of higlly-skilled employees,
was unknown. Tho great mass Of
workers had no choice in what they
| should receive. II superintendent
or foreman wished to change the con=
! ditions Of employment, he could do
80 without question, as each depart
nent in expected to produce q certain