The labor world., 1921-05-07
WHO KILLED COCK ROBIN?

The Citizens Alliance IS singing It's
swan song on the alleged building
trades strike. Having killed the
building industry in Duluth for this
year at least, and recognizing that it
has done the city and her people ire
parable injury, its officers are now en-
deavoring to place the blame for the
present unfortunate situation on union
labor.
1t required exactly four full columns
Of newspaper advertising space for the
Alliance to tell the story of the "Build-
Ing Trades Strike.' The necessity for
a building program is very carefully
outlined and public attention is called
TO the benefits that will accrue to the
city through reduced building costs,
most of which are admitted by labor.
But the Citizens Alliance would de.
seive the public, although it does. no:
deceive itself, when it charges that
union labor has refused to accept any
reductions in wages. That is not true.
Union Labor contends that the workers
have right, which they have earned,
to have voice in determining what
the wages shall be.
Under the Citizens Alliance plan the
employers have all to say about wages.
"Take 20 per cent less or nothing"
they say. The workers come back at
the Alliance and at the contractors,
whom the antiunionists have trapped,
and they say: "You talked with us,
and not to US, when we wanted in
creases in wages, and now we propose
to, have an equal voice with you in
talking about any reductions in
Wages.' That is all there is to it.
The anti-unionists, by insisting upon
20 per cent reduction in wages, with.
out consulting the workers, are merely
taking short cut route back to that
time-worn autocratic system of "indi-
vidual bargaining,' under which they
were the absolute masters Of labor.
There are still left on this earth &
number of employers who believe be-
cause they have always fixed the wages
Of their employees, that, like kings of
old, they have "a divine right' to
do so.
Union labor challenges that position.
It does not want all the voice, but it
surely insists on the workers having
something to say about what their
wages shall be. That is the only point
at issue.
If the Citizens Alliance is really en-
the square with the public and desires
to work for the best interests of the
building industry and the city, it will
come out from the darkness under
which it works and it will say to the
workers: "Come, now, let US have a
just peace. You and your employer:
sit down together and we will assist
you in arriving at an equitable solu
tion of the questions now in dispute. d
But the Citizens Alliance will dc
nothing of the kind. That is not its
purpose, which is to weaken or de
stroy union labor's power and influ
ence in the industries, and in which
it is dismally failing. If there wa
peace in industry between union labol
and employers, professional anti-union
lists would be out Of job, and ther,
would be no need of Citizens ALI
ance or it's special lawyer pleaders ant
professional secretaries.
No, they cannot make union labo
the "goat.' We won't stand for it
The "cock robin' of the building in
dustry in Duluth was not killed by tn
workers who refused to accept tn
edict of the anti-unionists, but it wa
killed by their brow-beating program
of malice, hate and injustice. The,
are to blame, not labor.