The Connecticut labor news., 1921-07-01
DECLARATION OF PRINCIPLES
BY METAL TRADES CONVENTION
EXPOSES INDUSTRIAL Contracts
Points Out That En-
ployers A e Endeav-
Oring To Establish
Class Distinction In
Industry.


vised by labor hating employers, was
adopted by the Metal Trades Department
of the American Federation of Labor IN
convention here The declaration, in the
form of a committee report, also points
out that the employers, by their policy are
endeavOring to establish in industry the
principle of class distinction.
The declaration in full follows:
Your committee is of the opinion that
no question affecting the rights OF wage
earners as workers in our industries or
as citizens is of greater Importance at TINS
time than that presented by the so-called
Open Shop or American Plan and the
conditions accompanying the effort to es-
tablish Them Those institutions winch
we call American and upon which all OF
our rights and alterations have been es-
tablished are readily traced to two tu1da-
mental principles adopted by the found
ers of our country. They realize that hu-
man freedom and liberty of action could
not exist unless it was recognized that
all men were born entitled to equal rights
and equality of opportunity and that no
government of free men could exist with
out the consent of the governed only I'M
derly all Of our American institutions.
The effort of the so-called Open Shop
Ders or American Planners is to set aside
or overthrow these two fundamental
principles of human rights. The advo-
Gates of the so-called Open Shop have
awaited themselves of the right OF organ
ization; not only this, but OF tederat1ng
their organizations SO that from the To-
ial organization of an industry animate
with the national organization Of the same
industry and through the declarations OF
md Ia
tional Association of Manufacturers and
the United States Chamber of Coomerce
and through other organizations such as
chambers of commerce, etc.
With the tremendous strength they
have acquired through those interviewer
and federated organizations which they
have built up, they are now endeavor1ng
to prevent Americans who are wage earn
ers from also enjoying the right to Or
ganize. They have built up their organ
izations apparently for the specific pur-
pose of making it impossible for their
employees to EN- oy a similar right. In
substance and in effect they are endeavor-
ing to establish in industry the principle
of class distinction.
The right of the employer to organize
and the right on his part to prevent the
exercise of this right by employees IS
part of their program and method. They
have given employment to numerous pr1-
vate detective agencies; they have dis
eliminated against and black-llsted active
trade unioniStS and in numerous instances
have coerced employers who believed IN
collective bargaining with organized EN-
ployes. The testimony given by Pres1-
dent Grace of the South Bethlehem Steel
Company before the Lockwood Commit
ed 1
was the policy of his corporation and
that of the United States Steel Corpora
ton to refuse to sell structural iron IN
New York City and in Philadelphia to
building contractors who employed union
men and that it was their policy to ex-
tend this practice throughout the United
States. This policy carried the black
listing of active trade unionists to the
black-listing of employers who believed
that their employees had the right to or
anize. In addition, within recent months
they have revived a system in vogue
shortly after the Civil War through
which the workman, in order to secure
employment, is compelled to sign con-
tract which provides that during the pc
Rod of his employment he will not be-
come a member of any trade union; Will
not take part in any strike and will not
permit any trade unionist to speak to HIM
upon the subject of trade unionls1n. When
workmen, because of bitter necessity,
have been forced to surrendr their right
to trade union activity, the employers,
through their attorneys, notify the OIL
GERS of international unions that any Ell
fort on their part to organize these EN-
ployes will result in suit tor damages
based upon breach of contract.
flu
have seized upon the present condition OF
unemployment to bind the worknen dur
ing a lifetime They are called upon to
sign an agreement which provides that
neither during the employment or at any
time thereafter will they make any effort
or any attempt to unionize the plant or
in any way participate in any strike
against the plant or in any p1cketlng or
bOvcotting. The price OF employment
is the surrender of inherent rights Tor
lifetime The employer becomes the auto
cratic ruler in industry
What is most amazing in connection
with these conditions is the decisions OF
high courts supporting this un-Amerlcan
condition which is intended to estaDllsh
class distinction. The supreme court OF
Massachusetts, in the case of the Mach1n-
lists emploved by the United Shoe Ma
chinery Company at Beverly, Massachu-
sets. held that it was contrary to the
iudge-made law of Massachusetts Tor
the members of the MaCh1n1Sts union 10
strike against the companys attempt TO
force individual contracts upon their en-
Moves. In other words the supreme
Court of Massachusetts, has held that or
ganized wage earners in that state have
no right to resist, by striking, an effort to
force these Individual contracts upon
them although the surrender OF the right
to organize. Such a decision is nothing
more or less than the establishing OF class
distinction. abhorrent to every right
thinking American and intolerable to
trade rnionists A clash between such
decisions and the actions OF such employ
ers and the traditions upon winch our
Government is founded is unavoidable
We cannot as citizens and we will not
nc trade unionists waive our right to Or
oan;zation as the price of employment.
Ne would be undeserving of the liberties
won for us by our forefathers II we con-
.ented. Application of any such theory
or principle, any effort to deny the Amer
lean workmen the right or organizatloll
is un-American, is intOlerable, and IS one
which all right minded citizens as well as
wage earners will resist with every power
at their command
RAP GRAIN GAMBLING