Twin city review. [volume] (Champaign, Ill.) 19??-1929, 1922-06-23
COURT RULING
GIVES LABOR
NEW WEAPON

commenting upon the uecIeiOn OF
the United States supreme court in
the case of the Coronado Coal COM
pany against the United Mine Work
ers of America, which resulted in
victory for the miners union, the
United Mine Workers Journal, Off
cial organ Of Inc union, says editor
tally in the latest issue:
IF a labor union can be sued, as
was decide By the United States 81
preme court In the Coronado case,
then it can aiso sue. If labor union
can sue, then there is no good reason
Why it shout not utilize the law and
tie courts for the protection of 1t
self, its members and their welfare
against oppression, damage or out
rage. If the law and the courts af-
ford a means by which union-busting
employers may harass, torment and
Cypress unions and working people,
then unions and working people
should not hesitate TO use the same
weapons against that class of en-
ployers.
Injunction Is Two-Edged Weapon.
at has long been popular pas
time with such employers to rush oil
to the courts and ask for an injunc-
ton every time labor union dared
to make its appearance in their
neighborhood. And the injunctions
have been issued. They have very
seriously hampered the unions in
their efforts to organize the unorgar-
lied workers in their particular
crafts. In West Virginia, for instance,
injunctions have been issued on
mine run basis. Non-union opera
tors have not hesitated to secure an
Injunction at every possible oppor-
tunity. If unions would fight such
employers with their own kind of
fire il would not be long until the in
junction process would be as unpopu-
lar with employers as it always has
been and still Is with employees.
"Coal operators secure injunctions
to prevent strikes. Labor unions
could secure injunctions to prevent
lockouts.
Numerous coal companies have
sued the union for heavy damages for
things that happened during strikes.
Unions could sue such employers for
damages for things they do to their
employees. -, .A. ,.,h..o,,or
some employers evict families OF
workinpmen from their homes and
set them and their household goods
out upon the roadside to be destroyed
by rain and the weather. Who will
say that damage suits could not be
filed against such employers under
such circumstances?
"Thugs and gunner have been
hired and armed by employers many,
many times, and they have beaten
up and even killed men whose only
offense was that they were members
of labor union. Who will say that
such acts cannot be made the subject
of an injunction and of damage suits !!
at would not require many such
suits against employers to teach them
that injunctions and damage suits
are unpopular and undesirable.
Unions Should Seek Court Protection.
"The decision of the supreme court
in the Coronado case opens the way
for labor unions to go into the courts
for just such protection. This is one
of the very interesting and important
| features of the decision. The inJunc-
ton cannot be abolished or destroyed.
Therefore, why should labor unions
not make use of it? And why should
they not fight damage suits with dam
age suits
"The decision says a labor union
may be sued for damages to property
growing out Of a strike. But there
are limitations and restrictions to
that rule that take out some of its
teeth. For instance, the decision
says that an International union can.
not be held for damages in local
strike that was not called, author
lied or ratified by the International.
Union-busting employers have. all
along contended that the International
was responsible for every act OF
every member, and they have been
supported in that position by many
courts. But the rule laid down by
the supreme court puts crimp In
that policy. A union can now be held
for those things for which it is di-
rectly responsible, but nothing more
If strike is conducted along peace
full lines and without violence or law
lessness, as all strikes should be con.
Quoted, there will be no grounds fol
damage suits. And that is, and al
ways has been, the policy of the Unit
ed Mine Workers of America. The
great nationwide strike of 1919 last
ed six weeks, with 453,000 men In.
volved, and as far as could be learned
there was not single instance Of
violence or lawlessness anywhere II
the country. That was remarkable
record for such large body Of men
But even that record for peace anc
order has been outdone in the pres
ent strike. Here, we have perhap:
$50 900 men out, and they have beer
out for more than ten weeks. There
has been no violence or disorder ant
there has been no destruction of prop
erty that can be charged against the
United Mine Workers. This splendid
record stands forth as proof of the
splendid manhood and good citizen
ship of the members of the Unitec
Mine Workers of America"