The labor world. [volume] (Duluth, Minn.) 1896-current, 1922-05-27
PASS UP THE "oPEN SHOP"

PASS UP THE "oPEN SHOP"
The Citizens Alliance bulletin of
a recent date announces that the
Purity Bread company lis still the
only open shop bakery in the city.
The unions are making particu-
larly hard drive against this con.
Germ. This is natural and, in fact,
is right and proper from the
unions standpoint" \Thats COM
mendable tolerance.
Everyone should support and
uphold those who are standing for
those things which are for the best
interests of the community" wisely
reasons l.. c. Harris, president of
the alliance. But" he qualities,
upon the same principle, those who
believe in the open shop should
support those who stand for that
policy"
We are nightly pleased to have
the anti.unionists make their ap-
peals for support so openly. They
usually work in the dark. We hope
workers and their friends will heed
them. The "open shop" means low
wages, long hours of labor and the
continuance of autocracy in indus
try. The union shop means living
wages, reasonable hours and democ-
racy in industry. More users OF
bread believe in union than in nom
union conditions. If Mr.. Harris ap-
peal is needed by the friends of a
square deal for labor the non-uniou
Purity Bread company will get pre-
cious little trade here.
As matter of right the Purity
Bread company is not entitled to
the patronage or support of any
person in Duluth. 1t is not an
"open shop" institution. It is
non-union, closed shop. 1t is one
of the most vicious anti-union con-
Germs in the state. 1t is second
only to the steel trust. 1t goes the
limit in it's opposition to union Ia
Dor. 1t is classed among the most
bitter hate-engendering business
enterprises in the country. Where
its kind is in the majority it holds
a club over it's competitors and
compels them under price-cutting
threats to conduct non-union shops.
Here is an example: The Zins-
master Bread company conducts a
union shop in Duluth. In St. Paul
it runs an "open shop" bakery. The
Zinsmaster company operated a
non-union shop in Duluth for sew
eral years. 1t later signed up with
the union. Since then it's relations
with it's employees in the bake shop
have been so satisfactory that the
company contemplated signing up
with the union for their St. Paul
bakery.
When it's non-union st. Paul COM
petitors, such as the Purity, learn.
ed that the Zinsmaster company of
St. Paul had under consideration
the matter of unionizing their shop,
they served notice on Mr.. Zinsmas.
ter that If he made any agreement
with the Bakers union they would
cut the price of bread, distribute
the losses among themselves, and
drive sthe Duluth-owned bakery out
of st. Paul. Mr.. Zinsmaster was
thus forced to surrender, and the
unions have never blamed him for
it. 1t was the only thing he could
do under the circumstances.
No loyal Duluthian, outside OF
the consideration of trade union
ism, when he learns of the hard
practices of the Purity Bread com
pany, will turn down any Duluth:
owned bakery for such an autocrat
of the bakery business as that non
union concern is reputed to be-
'l'll not only refuse to purchase
the ron-union Purity bread and
pastry" said visitor to The Labor
World office recently, "but know
ing the concern as l know Il, I'll
not buy anything at all from any
merchant who deals in Purity pro-
ducts" And that Is the sentiment
tof good many more union men
and others.
! The Purity Bread company has
challenged the Duluth working PEG
Die who never did fhat concArn onv