The Connecticut labor press. (New Haven, Conn.) 191?-1921, 1920-07-10
EVIDENCE PILES
UP OF ATTEMPTS
TO BUST UNIONS
"Open Shop Greed" Absolutely
Bars All Organized Work
ers on Jobs.

Evidence is piling up that the Ma
tional Chamber of Commerce, the Ma
tional Metal Trades Association, the
Associated Railroad Managers and the
shipbuilders' groups, acting under in
spiration from the steel trust, are push
ing the no-union, or open-shop fight in
way which may force a general strike
of the metal trades, and, they hope, re-
suit in disrupting Organized Labor
The so-ca1led American plan is being
pushed actively in New York, Phi1adel-
phia, Chicago, along the Pacific coast
and in Bridgeport, and a general move
ment on the part of the International
Association of Machinists with its more
than SOC, 900 members to resist this or
ganized effort of the employers is pre-
dicted. The drive is concentrating in
the New York and adjacent territory.
where more tain 100000 machinists are
employed.
The metal trades employees are pre-
pairing for the open-shop fight in con-
junction with the other drives now on
against the transfers, 1ongshoremen,
harbor workers and railroad employees.
Open shop leagues have been launch
ed under direction of the National
Metal Trades Association in many sec
tons and all are working the same way.
A copy of the ''creed" of this organ
ization has become available. The
universal blacklist, and the discharge
of shop stewards. To protect them
selves from loss these employers have
already insured themselves in insurance
companies organized to pay benefits
that will cover all expenditures.
The bosses "open-shop creed" says
in part:
the fundamental principle that every
man has the right to work where,
when, and for whom at whatever price
is mutually agreeable.
1--WE believe the closed shop (union
shop) is un-American and in practice
unfair to the worker, the employer and
the public"
The employers then dovetai1 their
strikebreaking methods in launching
campaigns where the workers are off
their guard or where they have de-
veloped weakness in their organization.
These plans call for the following
steps to be taken by every employer:
Whenever a strike is declared in
the shops of members they will report
to the secretary at once c-d send him
list of all employees on strike.
'All other members of the asSocia
ton will exercise discretion in en-
ploying help during strikes.
Members will endeavor to keep
their shops open, SO that their work
men who wish to work may do so.
Members will talk with no shop
committee except one whom they know
to be composed solely of their own
employees.
Members will talk with no union
business agent and will not even adj
nit him to their office or shop.
Members will permit no strikers to
come back on the terms they went out.
Members will inform loyal employees,
forced out on strike against their will,
they will protect them if they come
back, and prosecute anybody who an
noys them"
The great contest between the Bethle-
hem Shipbiuliding Company and the
10000 metal workers in San Francisco
has just ended in a draw.
The metal trades are watching with
great interest the development of the
open shop fight in the Atlantic coast
shipyards where some interesting de-
velopments are expected soon.