The labor journal. [volume] (Everett, Wash.) 1909-1976, 1922-06-30
A. T. OF |. GAINING
SAYS G0MPERS

Cincinnati, O.-American Fedora
ton of Labor membership has stood
in the face of all opposition and in
the face of most trying industrial
conditions. This was made clear by
President Gompers of the A. F. Of
l.. in a statement in which he dis
cussed the membership figures SUBJ
mitted to the convention in the an
nual report of the executive council.
There seems to be-" said Mr..
Gompers. Something of a disposition
to misunderstood the membership
figures given for the American Fed
Grafton of Labor for the past year
and found in the annual report of
the executive council. submitted 10
the convention recently.
at may be that on their face and
without examination they seem to
show a loss of about 710,893 mem
bers during the year just closed.
Even if that actually were the
case labor's showing would be most
creditable, in view of the bitter OPP
position which we have had to meet
during the year.
THE truth is that we have no way
of really knowing whether we have
lost that many members and the fact
may be that we have lost none at all.
an 1920, the year in which our
membership was highest, we report
ed 4,078,740. We now report 1885,
651. One fact to which | wish to
point is that this is a membership of
more than a million over the figure
for the last pre-war year. Those I'M
ions which seem to show a loss are
the unions most heavily engaged in
war work, fortunately no longer ne
cessary. War PLANS are closed and
in some cases whole industries are
out of business. Thousands of work
ers have been forced into other oc-
equations. Navy yards are good
example.
But there is this feature which
makes it impossible to know whether
we have lost and which makes it GER
tain that we have not lost anywhere
near the number Of members indi-
Gated as lost on the face of the fig
ures. National and International I'M
ions pay their per capita tax to the
A. F. of L. on the basis of the dues
collected by them from their mem
bership. Those organizations do not
collect dues from men and women
who are out Of work. They issue
out of work stamps and no account
ing of the number Of such stamps
| issued is rendered to the A. F. of L.
for the reason that we do not re-
qulre a per capita tax on such
stamps, since they represent no rev.
enue.
"The tax collected by the A. F. Of
/ ~ v4r -.
Der per month, is on the membership
paying dues to the various affiliated
organizations. We have had a tire
mendous army Of unemployed and
affiliated organizations have issued
thousands and thousands of out of
work stamps.
We know that there are 3,195,651
members who are paving dues and
that is all tnat we can report. We
do not know how many members are
not paying dues, due to unemploy-
ment and therefore NO do not know
actually what number Of workers be-
long to our affiliated organizations
The real loss Of membership, if any,
is trlfllnP, running 10 few hundreds
or perhaps few thousands at most
In view Of conditions the showing
Us remarkable and is worthy Of deep
study by those who seek the destruc-
ton of our movement.
Taking account Of the spirit Of
our movement, our strength is great
or than ever. for there is today in
our ranks q militant spirit and a
solidarity and unity never equalled.
American labor has lost nothing, in
spite Of every effort our enemies
could bring 10 bear. We are here in
full strength. gaining and growing.
ADLER than ever in the defense Of the
interests, the rights and the liberties
Of the great masses Of our people.
And it would be well for those who
imagine they have the power to crush
labor 70 give the future some
thought"