Twin city review. [volume] (Champaign, Ill.) 19??-1929, 1923-12-07
MAH0N EXPOSES MITTENISM

The Mtten employe representation and cooperative
profit sharing plan of the Philadelphia Rapid Transit
company is absolutely hostile to trade union collective
bargaining and seeks to destroy trade unonism itself.
This is the vigorous indictment of "Bttenism' which
President Mahon of the Amalgamated Association OF
Street and Electric Railway Employees of America pre-
sented to the 1923 convention Of the association
The Philadelphia Rapid Transit Company is con
troled by Thomas f. Mten chairman of the board of
directors.
Mitten inaugurated his plan some II years ago. when
the transit company bankruptcy, number of
years having passed without dividends the S30000000
of stock much of which was recognized by financial eX
perts as being water"
Mittens problem to put the stock, water and all,
on a dividend basis.
Dependent and subservient employees were essential
for his policy.
Trade unionism stood in his way
Trade union officials drawing their salaries from the
trade union pay roll not dependent upon the employer
for living consequently they persistent and fearless
in standing for the rights Of the workers.
But company employee representation officials tied
to the company payroll for living, are quite naturally
less Independent than outside trade union officials.
Mitten knew this. And Mttenism like every other
antiunon employee representation SYSTEM started out to
undermine trade unionism by the establishment of softly
phrased Substitute sWeeened in its appearance by the
label cooperation"
President Mahon sensed the anti-unionism of Mten-
ism from the first He knows it. Here is what he says
about it
company 1t does away with collective bargaining, form
ing committees of officers who call themselves employees
and in sense, are employees, who handle the affairs of
the cooperative plan.
"The men of Philadelphia expected last year that,
from the dividends of the company and the stock they
claimed to control by the cooperative society," they would
get something But Mr. Mitten in his report criticized
that view and pointed out to them that that to be
expeced This year, when under his plan wages to
be increased Mtten took what should have been the in
creased wages to- in part pay off the debt for stocks and
bonds in the railroads in behalf of the cooperative PLAN
"Mttenism is attack upon collective bargaining.
at is proposition that would deprive street railway
of the opportunity to discuss what their wages should
be or the conditions of their employment.
at direct attack, it, upon the trade
union"
According to officials of the Amalgamated Associa-
ton the Mitten interests precptaed the Buffalo street
railway strike of 1922 for the purpose of destroying the
Amalgamated Association in Buffalo in order that Miten
ism might be established its corpse. Then the Miten
zers would march to Mttenize Pittsburgh Cleveland
and Chicago.
Here is the way President Mahon sizes up the Buffalo,
condition and the way the Anal gamated met it:
when the Buffalo situation about we agreed
that it had to be fight to finish if to preserved
the Amagamaed Association against the tactics of Nit
tenism.
1--WE put on the armor and went into the battle in
Buffalo, and every dollar that could rake and scrape
was brought together.
81 have been advised that the Mten people have de-
clared they will get me.
and say to those who carry the messages today carry
this message back to them They will never get me as
long as live"