Montana labor news., 1937-07-08
FARMERS UNION
LABEL AGREEMENT

Educational and Cooperative Union
of America, more popularity known
as the Farmers Union, and the I'm
ion Label Trades Department of the
American Federation of Labor. 1t
is a reciprocal plan through which
the members of the Farmers Union
buy Union Label goods and patron
ize Union services, and in turn the
members of Labor Unions, wherever
possible buy Farmers Union prod
ucts only from merchants who dis
play the Farmers Union Label and
Shop Card.
What this reciprocal buying agree
ment really means to organized la
Dor is illustrated by the following
resolution adopted by the 32nd An
nual Convention of the Farmers
Educational and Cooperative Union,
held in Des Moines, Nov. II and 18th,
1886:
WHEREAS, in Alabama much
has been accomplished through CO.
operation with labor toward obtain
ing cost of production for farm prod
ucts, and
WHEREAS, as a result of such
cooperation a committee represent
ing the National Farmers Union and
the Federation of Labor have
reached an agreement whereby the
members of the Farmers Union will
demand the Union Label upon all
goods purchased by them and in
turn, the members of the American
Federation of Labor will demand the
Farmers Union Label upon all
products of the farm;
Nov, THEREFORE BE IT RE-
SOLVED, by the National Farmers
Union in convention assembled, that
we adopt the plan as a part of the
Farmers Union program toward OBJ
tanning cost of production for all
farm products and that a committee
of not more than three be appointed
by the President to work under the
direction of the national board to put
into effect and enforce this agree
ment."
This cooperative plan of combining
the purchasing power of farmers
and workers has great possibilities
and we predict that in the coming
year it will have an extensive
growth in many communities. 1t is
now spreading through twenty
states. 1t is an unusual arrangement
of self-help for both the producers
on he farm and in the factory. It
combines the purchasing power of
two strongly organized groups and
is of great mutual benefit to them
as well as to the business men of a
community who advocate trading
at home"
The consumer is protected in this
plan by an advertisement in local
newspapers, in which the wholesale
as well as retail prices are both
printed. This prevents profiteering.
While the farmers receive more for
their produce, the retail stores are
the same as in other communities.
In order to develop this move
ment in every locality where there
are Farmers Unions, the Union La
bel Trades Department urges the Of
ficials of both farmer and labor I'M
ions to- hold a conference in order
that the plan can be Immediately
inaugurated.
Mr.. William c. Irby, member of
the National Committee of the Farm
ers' Union recently made the follow
ing statement concerning this re-
ciprocal agreement:
Bear Ye One Another's Burden
when l bought this hat, 1 looked
in it for the union label I also
looked into the pockets of the coat,
vest, pants, in the shoes, on the
socks, etc, for the union label
why? Because those little 'un-
ion labels were the same as letters
to me from the men and women,
who made them, that / could buy
and wear them knowing that they
had been treated as human beings
and not as beasts of burden by the
factories that sold them to the mer-
| chants.
81 was doing my Christian duty
of helping those men and women to
bear their great burden of support
ing and protecting themselves and
families.
When the union workers look for
and demand the stamp of the (plow,
hoe and rake) our farm union label,
upon products, they are helping the
farmers to bear their great burden
of supporting and protecting them
selves.
'That little union label is more
powerful than bullets in protection
of the rights Of the workers"