The labor world. [volume] (Duluth, Minn.) 1896-current, 1920-05-29


ter> painter. ,weres tn. sue&t. 81 e III :;
Painters union. The rekplar order o..
business was: transacted in the presence
Of the employers, after. wAih**a fine
program Of music and :spdeches ,was:
given. Then came refreshmepts,: con:
sistihe Of coffee, 5sandw inches and cigars:
Some good stories: were ,itda;S all. clean
and switty: The "master: and man,
touched elbow.:;'' Suspicion 'andt;diss
trust had gifen*way,, to faith: and con,
6dence. The situation was ideal. :: Here.
were true social well-being and indus:
trial 'pcaee. - ~ :: j
Then came the Z: Citizens :: A ance, ,:
composed! largely OF :'e1ass .eonsctSus''
employer. and professional men: Of til.
old school who have, not: yet !; caught
the spirit Of the new: democracy in
industry. 1t was. organized, as! was
declared at the outset, Ito fight: for: the
"open shop; lit pekan, its work. .ys::
tematically:: The, daily newspapers,
while usually short: & zneW.:, space on
account Of the hieh.cost ofpfiht@ riptsit;
give fur Rptlieityii 10 such activities
Of the <allisnee; aSits .officers wish, the
public ITO knoN. They maven t said
anything; hogs!er, shout the. threat st.
the alliance to 'let no contracts to. firms
thettmakq union s. Shop contracts with
tAeir. <dmPloyls. AID since such 4
threat was: made things don = seem; to
be the same in the shops &snd on the
jobs; - Employers and dnions>no longer
meet in: pleasant social: p.stimes:: Their:
relationship is. strained: ., ~ !: !:
The, old union shop employers. are not
keen about the "opon shop" Some
Of them have had costly experience
under itsin other days, and they don't
want any; more of it; but what are the, i
to do when the big: interests having
buildinss', to construct refuse, to, give
them contracts if, they make union shot;
agreements They. did the only thinf
they 'eon1t do under the: circumstances:
They resolved for tn. open shop
but they are still employing only union
nlen. =, -. i
The agitation for the "op pom shop
is wholly unnecessary. Indeed il :.is
disastrous to Duluth. 1t hiss destroyed
this season 5 building. An architect
informs US that he had. plans under
way for four apartment. houses: but
the prospective builders have since
got "cold feet.''' The cost Of Building
did not disoouras them 80 much as
the fear that their, monty sndy build
ings would be tied up by an '.opei
shop strike. .': 49, !,
A theater was to have been built this.
wear on the site of the St."Louis hotel.
The owners have decided. to :, put; it
over for a year or two, and for NO
other reason than that they: do not
wish ito become involved in an ':open
shop fight. They: were not afraid Of
the cost, for this is theiharvest, time in
the theatrical business. and they are
now during this peri Cd Of: high prices
building h. s2;ooo,ooo' thsater:. in st.
Paul. Busybodv ,'.'cper' shoppers ,,
scared them out here. That. is all there
is to it,. = ~. ~:
When. the "opeu SHOP, was first
launched in Duluth IS years. ago this
city: had population of, $4,000. r We
now have; little more than: 5000.
The growth in 10 years was: appro1i:
mafe]$.t 10000. The steel plant and
thes shipyards have since bsen- built
employing. together 1909: workden,
whose families and dependents make a
population. Of 100000 SOULS, That rep
resents Daluth's growth in 10: years.
Why haven It :;;niore industries; come.
Are>tht unions tt" blam1ee.r> The metal.
trades have not en- oyed the union shop
to any extent. In fact they are mostly
working in. open shops: -, +>...~> ;,
No, union labor is MOTTO blame; and
none know it 80, we'll as o::the" open
shoppers who Try to make other PEG:
pie. believe that the union. shop pre-:
vents the growth: of ~a:,eity.> Labor
does. not. destroy;; it: builds. Tt does
not control the credit Of the city,. 1t
owns no banks. It does not: close the
town against competitors. in busine ss.
Thgatis the enly:'k kind Of .::closed shop
there is in D1lnth, and it is run BY the
very people who are shouting the loud:
est" for an open labor shop, which after
all is but shop closed to union men.
The real open shop: is the union shop.
There is no such things as . closed
union. 1t is open to: ievery,; worker
who may seek. admission. !: The inte iii:
gent men and women Of labor realize
that without Organization they can do
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