The Butler County press. [volume] (Hamilton, Ohio) 1900-1946, 1929-08-30
ALL PAY DUES

those waking delegates Rang Oh 70
the money you would pay for dues and
you will be that much ahead"
This is the sage advice employers
give to non-union workers. In many
instances it convinces the inorganic
ed worker and settles the matter for
him. He goes on his way smiling
with satisfaction that he is not pay
ing dues, and is saving that much
money.
The sad part of it is that he is
paying more dues than the union man
is paying, and he is receiving moth
ing in return. To be sure, he is not
paying dues to the union, but he is
paying dues, higher dues, to the en-
ployer.
No worker escapes the payment of
dues. Whether he belongs to an or
ganization or does not, still he pays
dues. If he does not pay them to the
union, he pays them to the employer.
Observe how this dues paying
works out. The unionist pays dues
to the union. To place the yearly
average dues to union at $50 a
year is, if anything, to set high
average. In return he receives high
er wages and shorter hours than the
| non-union man. If he is sick, he is
not forgotten by the visiting COM
mittee of his organization. If he,
through misfortune, is in want, he is
| not left to become the object of char
ity, he is assisted by his organization
or a group of organizations. He goes
to work with an independence that
prevents him from shaking in fear
| that the boss will be out of sorts when
he arrives in the morning and dis
| charge him because he does not like
his looks. His union protects him
against that. Through his organiza
tion he has voice of protest or ap-
proval of activities and legislation
| that affect him. He is one of an army
of millions that encircle the globe.
The non-union worker pays dues to
| the boss. He pays it in reduced
wages. In one industry where the
workers forsook their A. F. of l..
union for company organization,
| wages have been reduced one dollar
day If there are ten months work
a year in this industry, it means,
deducting the Sundays, that these
workers paid dues to the amount of
$3.50 year in reduced wages. Two
hundred and twenty dollars more
than they would have paid the union.
| When non-union workers are sick
them when they are off the job. Ii
look to charity. The boss, to whom
they pay dues, is not concerned with
them when they are ffthe job. If
activities and measures come up det-
rimental to the workers the morgan
lied can raise only his own feeble
Noi1c III PloecSl. liz lS Inc d spar :
row chirping against the rush of a
hurricane. Alone, and unbefriended,
he faces his organized oppressore.
Hopeless, helpless and in depair he
leans on the reed of the good will of
the employer. But he pays dues, high
dues, and receives in return wage re-
ductions, longer hours and harder
work. He cannot hope that tomor-
| rows burdens will be lighter than to-
| days, and as he weakens with in
| creasing age he steps towards the
grave, almost hoping for death to
come to relieve him of his ever-in-
creasing burdens and misery.
As we'll may workers hope to live
without breathing as without paying
dues. The unionist pays dues that
bring benefits to himself and his fam
| lily. The non-unionist pays higher
dues to have the good things of life
kept from him and his loved ones.
But all pay dues.
The non-unionist pays his dues as
a careless farmer might. throw his
seed to the winds, letting them blow
where they will, and others reap the
harvest. The unionist paying his dues
to his union is like careful husband
man, planting seeds in the soil of col