The Connecticut labor news., 1921-09-16

the purpose Ot outlining general trade policies, advising legislation affecting the trade, proposing methods ot securing uniform working hours and shop praC- tices cooperating with the proper gov ernment authorities to maintain selling prices sufficient to insure reasonable re- 1nuneratiOn to employers and employees, reviewing causes of any disputes arising, improving methods, processes and stan dards of workmanship, devising means of utilizing to the utmost the practical experience of employees, and of consid- ering the practicability of establishing wage boards throughout the industry. Since its establishment the Council has established machinery for informal and frank discussion of problems of interest to both parties; adopted principles to guide wage negotiations on the basis of | joint investigation and recognition ot ex- isting economic conditions; made pro- visions for constructive handling of ap- premiership problem; adopted a stand ard international arbitration agreement, and a standard clause for all contracts, embodying the principle that wages be adjusted to. living standards on the basis of joint scientific investigation.
 Shop Committees.
 Shop Committees: The Shop Com 1 mittee is another attempt towards order ly industrial government, examples of which have been put into operation in ! numerous places. Among them are the following:
 Wm Filene's Sons Company, Boston, | employing about 5000 people. The or ganization covers every employee of the l company, including the highest paid of l ticerS, on equal terms, 1t consists of Council of B members, an Arbitration Board of 12 elected members. The com pany maintains working agreements with such sections of its employees as are or ! ganized into unions, this plan not inter fering with recognition of the existing l unions.
 The Dennison Manufacturing Com | pany, Birmingham, Mass. employing g., | 5O0 The plan consists of a General 1 Works Committee of 61 departmental ! representatives, a Central Committee of the General Works Committee, and vari- l ous conference committees. The plan does not abridge the right of any union to deal directly with the company. The Bethlehem Shipbuilding Corpora ! ton, employing 30,O00. The plan in operation consists of craft committees composed of representatives from each of the crafts employed; plant commit tees composed of representatives from each craft committee in the plant; representative appointed by the manage ment for each plant; and a general joint committee for the industry, composed of representatives from each of the five in- ternational unions involved and five rep- 1 resentatives of the company.
 The traditional indifference of trade | unionis1n to questions of production and l convenience of the public has been a | natural reflection of the attitude of capi- | talism. It Is the reverse side of the same 1 shield. Under capitalism, the industrial process has been not piece of machin- cry for meeting human needs but a field 1 for private exploitation. Trade union l ism has been colored by this conception I of the industrial order, and has in turn demanded only what it could wrest from the process, as the capitalist has taken what was possible for him to secure. The
 following new developments in the labor movement are evidences of a different
 spirit.
 { The Plumb Plan for the Railroads :: | The Plumb Plan League, claiming the l support of 6,OO0,OO0 organized workers i and farmers, is conducting an education al campaign to secure public ownership
 and democratic operation of the railways ] of the United States. The plan includes
 provision for purchase from present own-
 CTS, tor management by representatives,
 one-third of whom are to be elected by
 operating officials, one-third by employees
 and One-third appointed by the Presi4nt
 of the United States; for boards of ad-
 justment to establish wage rates, working l rules, etc.. for division of profits be-
 tween the operating management and the
 government, with reduction of rates to
 the public whenever the net profits shall
 equal or exceed five per cent of the gross operating revenues.
 The Coal Industry.
 Nationa1izing of the Coal Industry The Cleveland convention of the United | Mine Workers of America in September 1919, went on record III favor of the na-
 tionalizing of the coal industry, and di-
 reCted the officers to prepare and present
 a plan to the membership. This has not
 yet been done, but District No. 2 of the
 United Mine Workers, with a member
 ship of 5000 miners in the coal field
 which largely supplies New York, Phila-
 delphia, Boston, Buffalo and Baltimore
 is conducting a vigorous educationa
 campaign on the question of nationaliza-
 tion.
 Standards of Production in the Cloth
 ing Industry: The 1920 convention ot
 the Ana1gamated Clothing Workers o1
 America adopted a resolution calling fo1
 cooperation with the employers in stt-
 ting up standards of production based
 upon measurements of work. The first
 conference was held, plan was worked
 out by which production in the various
 shops was to be increased from IA to 4(
 per cent. and each side left the confer.
 enCe to present the plan to their respeC-
 tive bodies. The consummation of this
 plan was halted by the lockout of the
 clothing workers, which terminated witt
 a new agreement. This contract provides
 that in each shop an agreement shall be
 reached between the representatives o1
 the union and the representative of the
 employer as to a group standard of pro.
 duction A memorandum shall be made
 and signed, and then becomes a part o1
 the contract. If production falls below
 the standard agreed upon through the
 fault of the workers, compensation sha1 be adjusted accordingly. Difference:
 which may arise on this point are to bt submitted to the impartial chairman
 The Co-operativ Movement: In 1o1. the American Federation of Labor went
 on record as advocating Consumers Go.
 operation. and voted fund of $20,0O(
 for the organization and maintenance ot