Montana labor news., 1934-02-22

100000 NOT ELL
CHILE TO A. F. L.
TERNATIONAL

than
10000 0 U. S. Workers are not
eligible to membership in any inter-
national union affiliated with the
American Federation of Labor. This
is the highlight of a report entitled,
The Field for Unionization, given to
delegates at the recent A. F. of l..
general conference to consider the
problem of federal labor unions and
what to do with them.
According to a conservative esti-
mate" with which the report does not
necessarily agree, nearly 10000, 0OOor-
ganizable workers in the United
States are not now organized. Elk
cluded from the group of o%rganizable
workers in this estimate are farm
laborers, domestic servants, employ
ers, some professional workers, man.
ayers, foremen, policemen and army
and navy personnel. Part of these
workers really are subject to union
ization, the report maintains.
"Of nearly SO,OOO,OOO organizable
workers." the survey continues, "Over
100000 (5s per cent? r eligible
to membership in existing interna-
tional unions and the four railway
brotherhoods and over 100000 az
per cent? could belong to unions d.
rectly affiliated with the A. F. Of L,
or to new international unions" OF
the 100000 more than 4,OO0,OOO
were already members of A.. F. of L,
internationals Oct. /, 1888, and OF the
10000, 900 not eligible, a little over
400. 900 were in federal labor unions
directly affiliated with the Federation
"The problem" the report sums up.
"reaches large dimensions among (a)
the clerks and kindred workers where
there are nearly 100000 organizable
but not eligible to existing interna.
tional unions; (b) the semi-skillec
workers with a corresponding figure
of e 100000; and (c) the unskill-
ed workers with nearly 1000 ,0OO-a
grand total of more than 12,00O,OOe
organizable but with no place in the
existing international union struc-
ture." /.
Of workers eligible to join A. F. oil
L. internationals, "a per cent are or.
ganized, 10 per cent of professiona
workers, 8 per cent of clerical work
ers. Al per cent Of skilled workers
and 20 per cent of unskilled and semi
skilled workers are in the unions, &C
cording to the report. A table shows
the situation regarding the semi
skilled and unskilled;
Standardization, 7,977,0OO; I'm
organizable, 100000; Eligible, $685.
coo.
Observation-Disclosures, 900; inorganic
able, 6,463, 600; Eligible, 3,618,OOO.
Members 94, 900.
In another report which analyses
the claims made for company union
ism by the Natl. Industrial Conference
Board, the sponsors of the foregoing
report state: Confidential inquiries
directed to well-informed persons in
the field have yielded estimates (ot
company union membership ranging
from two to three millions. 1t is al
so estimated that the number of men,
bers has doubled in the past year
while the number of plants has more
than doubled. These observers also
express their belief that the trend in
the direction of company plans is
more important than the actual fig
ures thus far attained. They antici-
pate further extensive growth Of
company plans, particularly in manu-
featuring industries.
"Under such circumstances, the
growth of company union membership
is to be expected. Our answer must
be this: an increase in standard union
membership and an increase in true
collective bargaining"
The reports, while not bearing any
signature, are official A. F. of L. doc
uments, according to Sec. Frank Nor
rison.