The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1922-06-20
Labor Meets With Reverses
BY FREDERIC }. HAsKlN

WASHINGTON, D. c., June 20.-Or-
gained labor has met with serious
reverses during the past year. This
has been shown by the record of
events, which include wage reductions
all along the line and adverse court
actions and decisions. This has been
admitted during the deliberations OF
the labor leaders during the annual
meeting of the American Federation OF
Labor at Cincinnati
! AS oneobserver has put it, labor is
now. fighting a rear-guard action. That
! is to say, it is retreating, but contest
/ ing every foot of ground it yields and
endeavoring to prevent the retreats
/ becoming a panic and rout. Thus
far it may be said to have marshaled
It's forces in good order, but it is
automatic that a retreating army does
not grow in numbers or in strength
and it is apparent that the leaders,
from Gompers on down the line, are
gravely concerned over the outlook.
This is not to be taken as meaning
that there is any likelihood of a gen
eral breaking up of labor organiza-
lions, or that what is known as the
labor movement may be permanently
checked. But it does indicate that Ia
Dor has had to give up advantages once
gained and that 1t must now prepare
to resist attacks against which hereto
fore it has felt itself to be immune.
Labor emerged from the war in a
highly satisfactory position, from its
own viewpoint. Distinct advances had
been achieved. Wage levels we're high
er than they had ever been before
Hours of labor had been reduced gen.
orally, with the eight-hour day and the
44-hour week established in many
trades and industries. Punitive over
time-pay at the rate of one and a
half times or even twice the regular
scale for every hour worked in add
ton to the fixed work day-had come
to be accepted as labor's due. Col
, lective bargaining was no longer ar
empty phrase. Membership in the
| unions had grown by leaps and bounds
} and their treasures were full to over
} flowing. One international was sale
! to have over s7,500,000 in it's reserve
) fund.
r Sought to Hold Gains
Naturally the men in the forefront o
the labor movement were keen to hole
i these gains and their postwar plan!
+. we're all to that end. They did not ex
pect to maintain war wages, but the!
l did believe that the principle of tn,
: living wage as a minimum for all work
l ers, with differentials for skill, expert
ence and hazards of employment, hat
r been so securely established that thert
: would never be return to old wag'
( levels However, they reckoned with
/ out the business depression that cam,
and persisted, and when they lost tn,
= steel strike that was called in Septem
: Der, 1919. and encountered vigorou
Y governmental Intervention in the Goa
. strike of November following, thei
] cause and their plans may be said t.
: have received a setback
In the transportation industry the,
lost the national agreement as to rule
and working conditions, which hat
been negotiated with the Railroad AID
ministration during federal control
and certain groups of railway worker
) lost the extra pay for overtime owe
: eight hours a day
But it has been in the courts tina
labor has met with what may prov,
: to be its most serious reverses Within
o the last year the injunction has beel
! used against the unions as never be
6 fore. particularly in West Virgins
! where restraining orders of the mos
f sweeping character have been issue
i against the United Mine Workers o
: the plea of the anti-union operators
, The union has been restrained fror
J. sending organizers into the indepenC
g ent fields and from making any effo1
n to organize the miners there. Unde
n the court orders union meetings ca
not be held and union members ca
/ not even discuss the union with miner
o who are not identified with the organ
/. ization. Also, suits for damages hav
It been brought by operators agains
Y union officials and members.
g. In only one instance has labor sougt
n to use the Injunction against emplo!
e ers. That came as an unexpected d.
J. velopment of a controversy in the ga
r ment making industry in New Yorl
e when the union secured a court orde
IS restraining the employers from breal
lie ing a contract which had been entere