Montana labor news., 1938-11-03
Organizations a PART
OF Industrial America

~ 10 0bA aAA6S NAAa viz AA3oC~ANhSA
Industries of Flathead county should
continue their unwarranted opposi-
ton to the trade union movement of
Kalispell. The daily papers in that
community, especially the Daily
Inter Lake." have been carrying
large advertisements intended to
convey the idea that the unions are
a detriment to the community and
that they shouldn't be allowed. For
instance, not long ago the paper re-
ferred to above, said in relation to
the construction of a local school
building that the purpose of the
money that had been voted by a
bond issue, had been defeated be-
cause, so it is said, the jobs for
erection of the building are being
run on a closed shop basis because
outside organizers came in there and
formed a few unions. At the close
of the advertisement in large char
acters this significant sentence was
attached to the advertisement: "The
Associated Industries Of Flathead
stands for and demands, the Ameri-
can plan of open shop" This state
ment is nothing more or less than
that the merchants and industries
of Flathead county want to continue
the old plan of non-interference by
the government, unions, people, or
anyone else in their selfish and
greedy quest for profits.
Not long ago a Mr.. Morrison, who
is a member of parliament of Great
Britain and who has visited this
country several times, after his last
visit here wrote a series of articles
dealing with the relations of labor
to industry in England. He pictured
how the British workmen had gone
far ahead of workers in the United
States in p~erfecting organizations.
This was due primarily to the slower
consolidation of industries into
monopolies in Great Britain than it
was here and how the government
in England had forced these indus
trial combines to recognize workers
and organizations, in the early days,
while in this country, the big COR
porations took an attitude that they
did not want to be interfered with
and that they wouldn't tolerate any
organization of their workers nor
regulations by the government. This
psychology, among the employers,
has caused unnecessary hardships,
strikes, and friction in the United
States. Collective bargaining by the
workers, through representatives of
their own choosing, has become a
part and parcel of the law of the
land and of the economic fabric of
the nation. 1t cannot any more be
stopped by the Associated Industries
of Flathead county than to stop the
river flowing into their magnificent
lake, but that is what they are try
ing to do.
In all communities where unions
have been for a long period of years
you will find a class of merchants
who are thriving, who are driving
rich Ears and who would not again
trade that condition to one of un-
organization under any circum-
stances.
Not long since, a convention was
held in the East by the National
Council of Churches in which a very
significant thing was said and it
| was this: That the working people
have as much right to organize in
the way that they desire as any
religious group has the right to pay
in the way that they desire. 1t is
hoped that the merchants of Kalis-
pell will take a more liberal attitude
toward the facts of life.