Newark leader. ([Newark, Ohio]) 1917-1946, 1922-01-27
What Unions Stand For
(From The American Pressman)

(From The American PreSSman)
We have often heard of people TAX
ing oath and obligation but how many
of them stop to think what it means
or what it stands for?
To the ordinary man of affairs i'm
mersed In his business and the daily
routine Of life, trade un1onism way
seem bewildering maze OF conflict
ling ideas and doctrines. The COM
Iplexity of trade unions, however, is
merely the compleXity of human life
itself. No matter how simple and
Fundamental the principles and con-
stitutlon of an organization, it's rules
and regulations necessarily become
complex as soon as they encounter
the diverse conditions that character
ize modern life. In the many trade
Unions that exist and the thousands
Of groups into which these organiza-
tions are divided, various problems
are encountered and various measures
taken IN each exigency. The result
s perfect bewildering series of rules
and regulations, in which those not
conversant with the movement see
neither rhyme nor reason, except per-
maps, that they observe in vague out
line the ever present desire on the
part of the workingmen to improve
their conditions and to raise their
standard of life and labor. But even
when the general public clearly un-
ie'stands this ideal, it fails to see
why so simple an ideal requires so
many and such elaborate regulations
and, in many cases, though the good
motives of trade are not impugned,
| Thplr wisdom O1pcti0no6
In it's fundamental principles trade
unionism is plain and clear and
simple. 1t starts from the recogni-
ton of the fact that under normal
conditions the individual, unorganized
workman cannot bargain advantage
ously with the employer for the sale
OF his labor; it is based upon the idea
that united they stand, and divided
they fall. At one time employer and
workmen were on practically equal
terms. The employer had been a
workman and the workman hoped to
be an employer. At present, however,
this IS not the case. Great corpora
tions have come into being and these
corporations, taken singly have in
their employ thousands or even mere
CT men. 1t does not make any differ
ence to them whether an individual
workman accepts or rejects, retains
or srrrenders the position they offer,
FOR they can always and easily replace
him. 1t is not the same with the
workingman. He has no money in
reserve and must sell his labor i'm
mediately and where he is; he has no
knowledge of the market and no skill
in bargaining. He has only his own
labor to sell, while the EN- ployer en-
cages hundreds of thousands of men
and can easily do without the services
of any one individual. If the work.
ing man has a family dependent upon
him, and particularly if he is lucky
enough to own his own home, he can
not surrender position because
wages are reduced or the conditions
of work made more difficult. The in
dividual workingman is thus more de-
pendent upon the employer for his
Job than is the employer upon the
workman for his labor. Singly he can
do very little: it is when he is united,
and then only, that he can demand
and secure justice. When it comes to
a settlement of wages, hours or con-
3itions of work, the employer is usual
~ at a great advantage over the un-
organized applicants for positions and
wages are kept low, hours of labor
long, and working conditions poor.
Trade unions recognize the fact
that unoer such circumstances labor
becomes more and more degenerate, |
because The labor which the workman
sells is, unlike other commodities, a
thing which is of his very life and |
soul and being. He is progressively |
debased, because of wages insufficient |
to buy nourishing food; because of
hours Of labor toe long to permit suf- /,
fcient rest; because of conditions of |
work destructive of moral, mental |
and physical health and degrading
and annihilating to the laboring
classes of the present and future;
and finally, because of danger from
accident and disease which kill off the
oA prematurely age hin.
To remedy these conditions working
men unite in trade unions. BY means
of trade unions they do collectively
and together what they formerly did
individually and separately. Just as
the strength of chain is .he strength
of it's weakest link, 50 without unicn
the power of body of men is the
power VI Tie pOOreSC anu ledSC re-
of them. By means of a
union, the strength and power of re-
sistance of all are put into a common
fund; the united action renders the
infinitely more powerful
han the combined strength of all it's
members acting separately. Instead
IF each workingman making a con
,ract for himself under unfavorahle
all unite-n,ake CON
,ract for all; instead of the individual
worker quitting his Job and being re-
placed by his fellows, all Of them
luit at one time.
Unionism was not very strong in
he United States years ago because
t was not absolutely essential. AS
ong as man could go west and take
1 farm, he was not obliged to work
lnder unfavorable conditions, but with
The closing up of the west and with
,he pressure brought to bear upon the
population by the hundreds of thous-
ands of immigrants who annually ar