The Butler County press. [volume] (Hamilton, Ohio) 1900-1946, 1923-08-10
SAY open SHOP"
MEANS "UNCLOSED"
Continued from page one)

llOiit page OIleJ
ploded arguments that the union shop
destroys the freedom of the worker,
the non-unionists close with the sug-
gestion that the dictionary makers
write new definition of "open shop"
The letter, which could hardly con-
tain more mendacious and misleading
statements in the same number of
words, follows
To the Editors of The Century Die
tionary, the Standard Dictionary,
Websters Dictionary and to all
other photographers, Greeting:
Please list in your definition of
the term 'open shop" the idea that
an open shop is one in which persons
may be employed who are not subject
to the dictates of labor unions. An
"open shop" is the opposite to a clos
ed shop. A closed shop is understood
to be one in which person may not
be employed without the sanction of
a union. Persons are employed in an
open shop" without any reference
to their affiliation to unionism.
Union men are trying to project the
idea that if a shop is non-union that
such shop has no right to be termed
an open shop" Open shop employ
ers insist that they have the right to
use the word. An "open shop" may
be operated by managers who oppose
unionism and provide that their en-
ployes shall not be members of or
affiliated with any union or unions.
On the other hand an "open shop"
may be one in which employees are
not so restricted. Whether the en-
ployes belong to a union or not they
are employed in open" shops as in
dividuals and not as members of their
union.
An "open" shop is one in which
automatic machinery is installed and
the employers may get the full bene-
fit from the use of such automatic,
labor-saving machinery. In CLOSED"
shops where such machinery is in
stalled the unions have the right to
make laws restricting the extent to
which employees shall be or shall not
be eliminated. For that reason
MORE automatic machinery is in
operation in "open" printing plants
in Chicago and elsewhere than in
so-called closed" prining shops.
An "open" shop is one in which the
employees may enter into the spirit
of the enterprise in which they are
partners with their employers. If the
employees see fit they may work ex-
ira hard or speedily in order to COM
plete some specific task and be re-
warded according to their agreements
wit htheir respective employers. In
CLOSED" shops, the output of employees
is restricted by the unions and mem
bers of the union guilty of producing
more than what the union stipulates
are penalized.
Let us examine the definitions
contained in one of your celebrated
dictionaries.
The word "open" means ''unclosed,
literally or figuratively; not shut or
closed; hence affording access or free
ingress and egress" That describes
accurately, the printing plants in Chi
cago, operated in the "open shop"
plan. The shops are ''unclosed"; their
openness affords qualified persons ac-
cess to them. They also afford the
employers the freedom of discharging
persons who are superf1uous or inef-
ficient.
The word "closed," we are told,
means brought together so as to
leave no opening" Another defni-
tion is: Strictly watched" That is
what "closed shops" are. All the
employees are brought together" in an
organization and they are strictly
watched" They have not the free