The producers news. [volume] (Plentywood, Mont.) 1918-1937, 1929-11-29
ORGANIZATION AND THE
FARMER

Many farmers have looked askance in the past
at the use of the strike weapon by organized labor
N forcing or attempting to force the employer to
give the workers greater share of the fruits of
their labor. 1t never occurred to those farmers
that they could use the same weapon with excellent
results in dealing with the grain spectators
What is there in common between the farmer
and the industrial worker? The farmer applies his
labor power to the land and produces grain cattle
or sheep When he offers the fruit of his labor for
sale the capitalist buyer hagges with him over the
price. If the demand exceeds the supply the farm
er gets what he considers fair price for his grain
perhaps If the supply is greater than the de-
mand ne gets a low price. There is no perhaps
there And thru control of marketing facilities it
is In the power of the grain-buying capitalist to
play duck and brakes with the law of supply and
demand He can juggle with it until the farmer
has to sell at the spectators price
The industrial worker has only one commodity
to sell and that is his labor power When there
are enough jobs to go around the worker can COM
mand fairly good price for his commodity, but if
there are more applicants than there are jobs the
employers knock down the price of brain, bone and
snew, just as the grain or cattle buyer does. And
even when jobs are available for nearly every en-
playable person the boss, by treating with his
~N~'-'AAS
If worker goes to the boss and asks for an
increase in wages the boss is liable to get sore and
fire him. There is another worker ready to take
his job. But if a committee representing one
thousand workers goes to the same boss asking fo
wage increase, said boss will think manv times
ABOUT the consequences that would result from
rash action on his part. Should he refuse the work
ers demands and they strike he is sure to lose
thousands and tens of thousands of dollars in
strlke-breaking expenses. So he may make up his
mind to meet their demands in full or in part And
II the workers strike, and show sufficient soidari-
ty they stand good chance of winning The strike
is the most effective weapon in the arsenal of the
industrial workers organized in a labor union.
Where union labor exercises shop control mem
bers of the union do not approach the boss as ndi
viduals seeking wage increase shorter hours of
labor or better working conditions A committee
selected by their union interviews him. They act
collectively and effectively. What does the farm
er do with his commodity?
The farmer who is not organized into a co-oper-
ative is on the same level with the white collar
slave who will not join union and who tastes
the delights of an imaginary heaven when the boss
calls him Jim" or "Algy" even when he kicks
him IN the pants. The unorganized farmer who can
JOIN cooperative selling agency and does not, is
SNS@OAAS vi Iiic 1dfmer WHO does. Inru his
erative, the organized farmer can hold his wheat
from the market until the Spectator comes to
terms. In other words the farmer can go on a
SIRKE. is there anything wrong with that? It
is just as ethical for the farmer to strike as it is
for the industrial worker
Some farmers may argue that the existing CO.
operatives good; that they are run by fax
ers and crooks. The same argument can be adj
vanced against labor unions but no sensible work
er would refuse to join union for that reason. 1t
is the duty of the members of the farmers cooper
atlves TO consistently strive for better leadership
Many members of organizations are content to al
low their elected officials to do all the heavy work
while they reap the reward of their efforts. But
when things go wrong they are inclined to wax in.
dignant and righteous A member of an organiza.
ton who does not do his share to build it up and
help an official has nobody to blame but himseli
if the official comes to the conclusion that he is
wasting his time working for people who are ready
enough to profit by the labor of others but refuse
to do anything to help.