Southwest Washington labor press. [volume] (Hoquiam, Wash.) 19??-19??, 1925-02-20
COLLECTIVE ACTION TO BRING
WORKERS ECONOMIC SALVATION
By WILLIAM GREEN

By WILLIAM GREEN
President, American Federation of
Labor.
(From an address at a dinner CIV
en- at Cincinnati, Ohio, in honor of Mr..
Green by the International Brother
hood of Transfers, Chauffeurs, Stab
lemen and Helpers of America.)
Both our experience in life and our
study of social, political and economic
questions has convinced us that the
economic salvation of the workers
must come through collective effort
and through collective action. There
can be no substantial improvement
either in the individual or collective
life of the workers in the way of
higher wages, improved conditions of
employment or shorter hours Of labor
except through organization, concen-
tration and cooperation.
There are those who still contend
that the worker must rely upon his
individual worth or his individual
genius for advancement, progress and
success. 1t has been frequently stated
by many well-meaning people that
employers of labor naturally recog-
nize merit and individual worth
among their employees and in substan-
tiation of this claim they point to in
dividuals who have achieved great
success in the field of industry and in
the conduct of human affairs.
1t may be conceded that there are
some exceptional cases in which indi-
viduaIs through outstanding ability or
by reason of favoritism and oppor-
tunity have reached the pinnacle Of
success. Such cases are rare and
such experiences can not, by the very
nature of things, apply to the great
mass of working men and women.
In this day and age of highly or
ganized industry the individual work
er becomes submerged. AS rule he
serves as a working unit in great
organization composed in many in
stances of thousands of workers. His
voice is inaudible. He can not make
himself heard, either in protest
against the imposition of wrong or in
contending for the enjoyment of eco
nomic or industrial right. In addi-
ton, the individuals, through his own
action, separate and apart from his
fellows, can not compel his employer
to remedy a grievance or adjust a
wrong. Should he threaten to quit
work or should he cease giving service
in an effort to increase his wages or
to raise his standard of life and liv-
ing his employer would Immediately
fill his place with another worker.
In fact, it would be possible in most
all cases for the real employer, which
would be the officers of the corpora
ton, to know but little, if anything
about the complaint or the action of
the individual employee.
But it is different when the workers
in a mandatory or in an industry
pool their interests, organize their
economic strength and act collectively.
The voice of the individuals so COM
bined is heard through the chosen
representatives of the organized body.
The men speak collectively and under
such circumstances the employers OF
labor must hear and listen. The en-
ployers give heed to the utterances
of their employees and the attention
which the collective expression of the
ounnIoves receives depends directly
upon the perfection and completeness
of the organization.
The International Brotherhood of
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