The mirror., 1921-12-01

its members in case of labor disputes.
lust think for a moment of Ludlow,
Colorado; Lawrence, Mass; or Mingo,
West Virginia and you have clear per-
ception of what this assistance means.
There are a number of employers oper
ating under the Open Shop system, that
are following a policy of keeping little
in advance of the demands of the unions,
in order to carry on their businesses un-
interrupted by the unions or other agi-
tators.
They are as rule, men who believe
in, and have at one time recognized the
unions, and have sustained severe fnan-
cial losses, from causes of which they were
entirely innocent; such as the sympathetic
strike, or from the trade wars that were
carried on amongst the unions themselves
few years ago. and because of this loss
have changed their labor policy from the
closed shop to the American plan.
can readily name number of con-
Germs that are following this policy, which
has proven beneficial to employer and en-
ployee alike.
There is not the slightest doubt, but that
in plants of this kind are to be found the
most contented workers, and very often
these workers are union members, al
though they are very careful in keeping
that fact quiet.
Comparison is frequently made between
a plant of this kind, and a strictly union
plant, in order to prove that the lot OF
ron-union worker, is just as good, if not
better than that of a union worker, but to
my mind this is no criterion, since it COM
pares the average union plant, with
non-union plant that has attained the very
best of working conditions.
Conditions which were brought about by
the unions themselves, if not directly, then
indirectly, conditions which improve only
as conditions improve in union plants.
1t might be said that there are any
number of employees, that do not come
under the influence of the unions, whose
conditions have been advanced materially,
without the aid of the unions.
1 maintain that the unions in carrying
on their continuous fight for better work.
ing and living conditions, and by expos
ing certain conditions found in various
industries, have not only aided their union
hut ho1n 70
ditions for all employees, even the woods
man, the laborer of public construction
gangs, the farmers hired man,-yes the
servant girl of the city, too.
An opinion may be advanced, that it is
easy for union man to obtain union
card, and so be able to work in either
"open" or "closed" shops while this is
undoubtedly true in some instances, it is
by no means the rule, and the person OBJ
tanning "card' under these circumstances,
does not as rule do so, with the expecta-
ton of obtaining employment in that par
ticular trade, oh, no! his is usually another
vocation altogether.
on Will ma MIN at the DuSy corners
of our larger cities, and should you care
to listen, mighty tale he will unfold, as
to how he has been locked out by an en-
ployer, that does not care to have any
thing to do with union man - and
Would you kindly help an honest work.
ing man along" ct cetera.
Any employee who does obtain work
under the protection of "card," does so
under the condition that that "card" proves
him to be thoroughly efficient craftsman,
and should he not prove so, his "card" is
no protection the mere fact that he
carries "card" does not secure his job,
unless he can give fair and reasonable
days work in return for the wages his
'card" guarantees.
Another contention that is often made by
the Open Shop advocate is: That the