Grand Forks herald. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1916-1955, 1920-03-20
If I We're An Employer
An Interview with samuel Gompers Except, for One Year, President
w. OF the american Fed Grafton of Labor Since 1882


position to bargain with my men on
q IL months wage basis and abandon
the chaotic and uneconomic notion of
making all Of my profits in six months
and paying q wage based on similar
principles. This would make a very
great difference in the prices that I
should charge, and to attain this end
| should consult the union officers in
order to gain that cooperative know
ledge which is essential to good bust
ness, always taking as a fixed matter
a minimum standard of living for
those whom I employed.
This minimum standard would
necessarily follow as of course. for
without it the Intelligent endeavor that
is impossible. I think that the fixing
of Standards Of the amount Of work
and OF quality OF work, and inspecting
to determine whether those standards
are being lived up>to, is peculiarly a
; matter for the workers in the plant,
and I am in favor Of committees
elected by the employees as union men
to take charge of these matters Of de-
tail in which a conflict of authority is
SO easy.
Can Employers Expect. the Unions
Cooperation?
II am in favor OF putting more and
not less responsibility upon the work.
ers themselves and upon their union
, representatives: AS. an employer 1
TshouId kexpect my employees to give
me in return for their wages the fair
value in work that we had agreed
upon just as I should expect a Gus
toner to whom 1 sold on a fair. basis
to pay his bill and am confident that
such responsibility would find ready
response. If this fair return was not
given hen I should hold the union
strictly responsible, and If the local
officers should be derelict in respecting
that responsibility then 1 should go to
labor movement, for neither the en-
| ployer nor the union can be permitted
to go back morally upon a bargain
duly and fairly made, but with the
qualification, however, that since the
bargain is a human one, circum-
stances that alter the-conditions upon
which the bargain was promised may
so change as to make it ipequitable.
There are. not many buyers and sellers
who insist upon their pound of flesh
no matter at what cost, and il we con
slider wage agreements as partakine
Of this nature, then. both sides APP
preaching fairly, there is nosgood sex-
/ ouse for trouble. II l. considered that
my labor agreements had become in
revised. Nobody can reason
ably expect to succeed with q cut
throat policy 49,
4. How would you arrange wages!
Would you have a wage committee OF
a shop committee and. would you re.
gard. the union scaleaas a uniform dead
level or asa minimum wage for. that
class OF work, as, for instance, in the
case of piece work? Would you ar.
range with the union to guarantee the
junior scale, paying those WHIT exceed
that scale in proportion to their ex.
cess and fring/those who do not come
| upNto the scale? This would, in eft.
I feet: be to regard the. union day wage
as merely a guaranteed minimum and
4 then the wage itself would be based
upon performance &5t: ts
!, THE union wage is Al minimum
wage and It is arrived at As being II
the nature Of a safeguard agains'
tttpnying a. man of a certain skill less
than a certain amount for his day
OF the OPTIONS on the subject, wage.
are paid out Of hes,sprOduction and
out of nothing else Therefcfe
4 those who. in heTname OF unions, Op.
q pnse the introduction OF better meth.
1 DDS Of work are catering to tgnPrancs
and not TO union principles.
aAs an employer I should endeayo1
t No ed1Stt7E ul9Q UNAOE y
Il SANITATION which Is 3 the purpose d
Igbetter.ng ,societysan and those sorgAniEa,
tons which. fatsely call ~thenselye.
unions and which exist d HI
\ avowed purpose OF ~destroyipg soctet!
las We now know IT and HupDlanting 4
\ with communis1l.g
81 SHOULD pay nv Wages 81 per
formaGce and I should have "a com
4BJnittekS Of HE union With whom
4 couId arrange the fair cqntAnt 9th,
dayss, work and thus guard asslns
Ssthe dangen % inhulAan rAce-sstttns
.Pace-setfing does not An me ens
result In higher prOdnctton.yWh
Il o consider the wAsteSnateriAI anl
the steady sdetestnrataph ot the human
gHelement fhfough followfnK too htsfl |.
pace, you gain the true kActsgs q tn
Junior wage IT'D stosbfgreGardsd i
HmInimunl 4 must 10 Translated Info
minfmnm amount 0fssWcrh. andstha
q mstfimuU1 amount az NufktN AfnStte
ID which the parties can faIsfy aeo
sHSyin6 liked 5 the Tnipamur
anioutt 4 work, ~ 800 ta1& hi.