The labor world., 1920-07-10
THE REALTORS UNION,

trade union Of real estate dealers, an
nounces that on account of the "dou-
hled cost of opcration,' which is but
another way Of referring to "the high
cost Of living,' it has been found alb
solute]v necessary to increase the
standard commission rates for sales of
real estate. The new scale provides
for a So L.; per cent increase on sales
from $4,000 to $4,000 and 20 per
cent increase on the excess up to $780,
o0o. There will be 10 per cent in
crease on sales of 100000.
Most of the members of the Duluth
Board of Realtors are advocates Of the
"open shop in dealing with labor,
but when 1t comes to their own bust
ness they are just like the rest of the
folks. The retail merchants think they
are for the 'opcn'' labor shop, until
a wholesale dealer is found selling out
side Of the trade and then they are
for the closed shop. They appoint a
committee, Just like the labor unions
do, which waits on the wholesaler. and
he is told in plain English that unless
he confines his sales to-. the persons
engaged in the trade, they will cut him
from their list, which is only another
way of using economic power through
the boycott.
The wholesale people also are pro-
rounced in their opinions OH the
"open' labor shop, but when a man:
ufacturer sells direct to the retailer,
he is soon stricken from the wholesale
"Fair List of manufacturers. ,..
It is the same in all lines of busi-
ness. on the Board of Trade, in the
legal and medical professions and
among employers generally. They. all
want the union shop for themselves,
but, they declare, it is un-American
when demanded by workingmen.
The tone and language of the pub
lished announcement of the Duluth
realtors are familiar to trade union
lists. Being better educated than most
workingmen they couch their ultimat-
UNI for higher commissions, which to
a workingman means higher wages, IN
more polite language. What union
man calls union wage they call a
"standard commission
The officers Of the board are very
careful to explain that the term Real
tor is copyrighted and can be applied
only to a member Of their trade union.
A non-member is merely plain real
estate agent. Attention is diplomatic
callv called to the fact that realtor is
one who must adhere to the strict code
of ethics of the Board of Realtors,
which provides punishment for sharp
practice, improper dealing and false
representation. A labor union would
say the same thing in the following
languages: "A unionst is one who
lives up to the rules of the union,
refuses to work for less than living
wage, believes in upholding the tradi-
tions Of the trade and gives an honest
days work for a union wage..''
The realtors lose no time in expelling
member who accepts less than the
standard commission-their union wage.
We know of former "realtor,' who
is now just plain "real estate man.
H was fred from the Realtors union
for scabbing, and he should have been.
Labor unions do not always 60 to such
extremes. Usually the guilty member
is penalized with fine, unless he ac-
tually takes job during a strike, and
then he is expelled.
There is one marked difference be-
tween the situation of labor union
and that Of the realtor. The latter an
nounces what his commission will be
and that settles it. He owns his job
and therefore finds it unnecessary te
make "collective bargain' with the
boss If he strikes, it is against him
self. The fact that he owns the jot
makes strike unnecessary.
Now so long as men are employed
by boss for wages they must sit down
with the boss and agree upon the kind
of deal they are to get, and which a
rea|tor gets by simply agreeing with
his fellow realtors. Some day perhap.
the wage system will be supplemented
will give labor a share in the profits
over and above living wage. That
will spell the end Of industrial strikes
~ .and until it comes we may expect in