The labor world. [volume] (Duluth, Minn.) 1896-current, 1921-05-07

OF the 4o,000,000 people engaged in
galnful occupations. but 100000 arc
held to be organizable under the AM
erlcan Federation of Labor plan of or
sanlzation. Therefore instead of or,
ean1zed lab Dor representing but l. PEI.
cent OF the wage earners of the United
states, as Mr.. Harris. holds, it actually
represents so per cent of the orEaniz.
able workers.
The union leaders say NO ONE
shall have the right to work and re-
celve wages, unless he is member of
the union,'' continues the Alliance a5-
vertisement
The union leaders say nothing of
the kind. but they do say to the en-
ployer, If you will bargain with US
collectively we will agree to furnish
you with union men to do your work.
and we will refuse to work with any
but such''
1t Is Morally Right.
An employer has as much right to
bargain with labor union to fur
nlsh him with all the men he needs
as Mr.. Weyerhauser has a right to
bargain with a private emplovment
agency to supply him with a sufficient
NUMBER of employees to man his mills
and logging camps. It is all a oues-
ton of contracting and bargaining.
me non-union man is not shut out.
he is merely required to go through
the union to get to the door of the
employer.
The present day union wage. the
elght-hour workday, the better work.,
ing conditions, all came through the
union. They can only be sustained
by the union. and it is the moral duty
OF every worker to support the insti-
luton that has brought about such
conditions and that makes them GO
cure. II he does not recognize his
moral obligation to his fellows, he.
for the good of all, should be COM
PEELED to do SO.
1t Is Not True. "
THE closed shop through it's an
prentice rules, tells your boy he can
not become mechanic, a bricklaver
a painter or a printer unless tho
union says he may" says the Alliance
statement, and then it proudly adds
The open shop says to every An1eri-z
can youth, Select your own trade and
occupation, according to your fit
ness and your DESIRE" 4
Hoop it up, Mr.. Harris! That is
good Americanism. 1t would be if it
were true. But it is not true. In the
first place every American boy must
depend upon the will, caprice or mag
nanlmity' of an employer before he
can get a job as an appre ntice. Few
employers of latter days care ANYTHING
about the boy, except to exploit him
He gets but little training and under
the open shop he is usually given
the work OF journeyman at the pay
of an apprentice. while the dear
public" to which the Alliance now
appeals for support is charged a mans
price Tor the boy who is paid but the
wage of an apprentice.
The Boys Best Friend.
AS a matter Of fact the field for
apprentices in every organized trade
IN America is as open today as it
ever was. It Is true the union has been
forced to insist upon regulations to
prevent abuses, but, there IS not a.
shop Of any kind in the city today
which has the full quota of appren-s
tices permitted by working agree
! ments.
1t is one thing to make a bold un-
truthful statement against union labor
on the apprentice question, but It IS
quite another to specify the unions
that have set up 7, arbitrary rules
Iagainsts apprentices and t0: ray what
such restrictions are. They cannot.
neinlled g PsgeTvo