The Connecticut labor news., 1922-03-17

and four coats were non-union made. Consistency, thou art minus factor
 in this day" he said to himself "Gentlemen," began the employer as he returned to the committee, Il
 cannot repudiate my early convic- l tions. You are right i'll your stand. Y ou have no security for the wages, hours and conditions we have agreed
 to without the union shop 1 under stand ti. I'll sign up and settle our differences right now, but in doing so 1 want to be assured that l am deal ing with honest, consistent and sin cere men who will live up to their agreement with me"
 "Oh, we're all right" said the chair
 man. Our word is good. We are loyal union men and have given our pledge to live up to the tenets of
 trade unionism, among which is the ! obligation of contract" And anoth CT is" cut i'll the employer, Ito pur chase only such goods as bear the
 union label the emblem of honest and ! Well-treatcd labor.
 The trouble with you men is that you are seltishly looking out for the interests of your small group of asso- ciates without regard for the welfare of other union workers. Your unlon ! could not stand alone overnight. The ! fact that there are more than 4,OOO,- GOO union workers in the country adds
 to the strength of your organization and Ii SuStalnS you.
 We don't get you'" said the l spokesman of the committee. "4 ou are not warranted in questioning our l square with you We are affiliated with our international union, to which
 we pay per capita tax. We are also
 affiliated with the A. F. of l.. and pay
 our share toward it's support. We never turn a deaf ear to a plea for help from a union in trouble, Why do you say that we are but selhshly looking after our own interests with
 out regard for welfare for others:
 You have nothing upon which to base Iyour accusations"
 "Ah, but l have" replied the em- ployer. ou have asked me to en1- l ploy union men in this shop to the
 exclusion of all others, and l have
 agreed to do so, but you men are
 greater employers than 1 am and you
 employ nonunion men to do your l work"
 The members of the Committee | looked inquiringly at one another. \ l l Again we don't get you," he said. We have no jobs to give out, except ! when one of us builds a home, and then we always insist that none but union mechanics shall be employed" l Did 1t ever occur to you" broke in ! the employer, that every time you | buy cigar you are employing cigar l maker: lou employ tailor or a gar | ment worker to make your clothes, a \ natter to make your hats, a shoe | maker to make your shoes or a stage hand and a musician when you attend
 picture show. You look upon us as
 the employer of labor merely because
 we hand you the pay envelope every | Saturday afternoon, but the purchas ing public is the greatest employer of all. The workers constitute the bulk
 of that public. The union workers of the country, their families and de- l lpendents represent g per cent. of the | American public. Five million work
 CTS holding union cards are the chief
 bread winners for twenty-five million people, including themselves. That's
 about one-quarter of our population. l If you mobilize your purchasing power as you are attempting to do your producing power, there would soon be precious few nOn-union in l duStrial establishments in this coun- try. Instead of five million union
 workers there would in a very short ] time be twice that many and all the
 while your power would be increas- ing. Business recognizes power more
 than it does anything else Yours would be a power for good, for hu- man betterment, and would, therefore,
 not be dangerous"
 That is a fine sentiment" said the
 chairman. "I am sure my colleagues
 will join me in extending to you an
 invitation to address our members, lyour employees, at the next meeting
 on the subject of The Union Label
 It is the most forcible I have ever
 heard, and l am quite sure we have
 any number of men who need to be
 reminded of the label"
 "I shall be pleased to go at any
 time" replied the employer as he led
 the committee from his private office
 to the waiting room. Then he reach
 ed for their hats upon the table, turn
 ing up the sweatband of each as he
 handed 1t to its owner NexN he
 reached for their overcoats, examin-
 ing the inside pocket of each as he
 assisted in putting 1t on.
 "Gentlemen, 1 appreciate your ern-
 barrassment," he began, "and I will
 not rub 1t in. There is at least one
 of the committee who is more than a
 card carrier. When I was a wage
 earner and belong to the union 1
 got the union label habit, and it has
 never left me Here's my hat here; see, it bears the label of the United !, Hatters' Union. I wear better clothes now than I did then, but they are made by union tailor. There's the , union label Examine the soles of my shoes. There's the stamp of the Boot and Shoe Workers Union. Have a 7 cigar and let's part good friends. Note , the Cigarmakers' blue label on the , box, the oldest of them all, and the cigars were made right here at home
 Let me also add in passing: Your