The labor world. [volume] (Duluth, Minn.) 1896-current, 1922-09-02
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':An,alganation," the Latest Stunt

We are getting ''one-big unionism" in a new :
bottle lately, and it is labeled "amalgamation: -
That sounds better It is less offensive to the ear,
but there is nothing new in it at all. It is not
federation, the democratic ideal, upon which the
American Federation of Labor was founded and
has since thrived better than any other labor or
ganization earth. - =
Federation has not fallen down or failed, even
in the shopmens strike. Indeed it has been the
strength of that strike. Without it dissolution
would have set in several weeks ago. The six shop
crafts bound by agreement in the railway
employees department Of the American Federation
of Labor that has made them They have
the power that is craved for by the one big union
lists, and they have than that. They have:
preserved self government in each of the crafts,
most times more precious than power.
The one big -unionists are taking advantage Of
the shopmens' strike to propagate their idea of
labor organization laid I. w. w. founda-
ton. They do not call it that. If they did they
wouldn't get very far. But it is there just the
same, and they getting good hearing among
the shopmen who feel that there is something
wrong or all the railroad employees would be. on
strike together = -"
Yes there is something wrong and that some
thing lies in the fact that there is not complete
federation among the railroad unions Four of the
five big brotherhoods out of the Federation.
The Maintenance Of Way Employees union was
out Of the Federation until quite lately. If the
practical plan Of federation exists in the Il:
of L. had been agreed to by all the railroad labor
organizations before the shopmens' strike itprob;s
ably never would have been necessary and We
would be hearing precious little about. 80 amalgar
nation now. ~
How can unions b. induced tosf ana sss'ss
that are Indifferent abont declarations IF one half
the effort was put forth to perfect federation in
the l6 railroad labor organizations that is now.
spent in propaganda for amalgamation,' and
the word is quoted advisedly, the job would have
been completed long ago. The Industrial unionists
may succeed in deceiving the unsophisticatcd
among the railroad union men with their g ANAL
gamated' program, but real trade unionists will
not be mised by them. They throwing the
ball, only they pitching a different
curve. They will again be knocked out Of the box
when the trade union batters get on to them.
AS has been sad amalgamation is not new in
the trade union movement. It has been going OH
for years. The carpenters and woodworkers ANAL
gamated. The plumbers and steamfitters did like
wise and so have many other organizations rep
resenting kindred occupations. If railroad shop
organizations want to do the thing there
is nothing to prevent it. All they have got to do
is to initiate it in their respective organizations
and vote for it. In the end the probability is that
when they to deal with the thousands of
machinists, boilermakers, molders, pattern makers
and such that not employed in the railroad
SERVICE most of them will then forget this latest
plan of amalgamation,' and they will begin to
realize more the sanity, practicabiity and safety
Of plan Of federation that recognizes the cor
rectness of the principle Of craft autonomy even
down to the smallest unit.