The Butler County press. [volume] (Hamilton, Ohio) 1900-1946, 1940-08-30
BY GEORGE MEANY
Secretary Treasurer,
American Federation of Labor

American Federation of Labor
TINE strength of the American la
i. Dor movement, as represented by
the American Federation of Labor, is
greater on this Labor Day OF 1910
than it has ever been. The actual paid
membership of our organization is to-
day more than 100000, as compared
with membership of only few
thousands in the year of the first La
Dor Day celebration, back in 1882.
During the last year the labor
movement has successfully continued
to carry on its efforts to achieve a
better day for the wage-earners of
our great country.
Despite the activities of anti-labor
forces designed to impair the effect
iveness of trade-union effort, the
American Federation of Labor has
pressed forward as ever, organizing,
bargaining, counseling, consistently
pushing the American standard of liv-
ing higher and higher.
During the year the organizations
affiliated with the American Fedora
tion of Labor have obtained thousands
of contracts calling for good wages
and decent, American working condi-
tions. In the legislative field, labor
has also registered gains since we last
celebrated Labor Day, although adj
vances in legislation have been con-
siderably fewer than in recent years.
Those who sought to destroy the
American Federation of Labor by set
ting up dual organization have en-
countered rapidly growing revulsion
toward their tactics on the part of all
American workers-those still unor-
ganized as well as those already in the
labor movement and enjoying the
manifold benefits of organization.
Recently this mounting revulsion to
those responsible for the continuance
of the division in organized labor took
concrete form in the reafiliation of
one of the largest international unions,
the International Ladies' Garment
Workers Union, thus bringing back
into the American Federation of La
Dor total of 250,0O0 workers.
This action on the part of the Gar
ment Workers has re-awakened the
hope that the day is not far distant
when all labor in America will be re-
united in strong, vigorous movement
under the banner of the American
Federation of Labor. Experience has
taught us that unity is desirable.
Present-day conditions throughout the
world indicate that unity of labor in
America is imperative. l hope and
trust that unity will be achieved be-
fore another Labor Day rolls around.
Despite our great growth, | believe
there can be no more appropriate
message to the workers of the nation
on this Labor Day of 1910 than the
Labor Day message of the revered
Samuel Gompers almost two decades
ago.
"Organize! Organize! ORGANIZED"
was the Labor Day message of the
late president of the American Fed
GRAFTON of Labor in 1922
We have come long distance on
the organizational road since Samuel
Gompers voiced this exhortation, but
] believe that our job is only begun
There are still millions of men and
women workers in this land of ours
who are toiling for pittances, under
miserable working conditions, with no
security and little hope.
Trade unionism, which has brought
good wages, short hours, vacations
with pay, job tenure and many other
benefits to millions, can bring these
same good things to those other mil
lions who are still being ground into
the dirt.
AS see it, it is our solemn duty to
carry the gospel of trade unionism to
these workers, so that they may bene-
fit, SO that the American labor move
ment may become an even more po-
tent force than it is today and so that
this nation may become better and
greater through the increased we'll
being and prosperity of its people.
On this Labor Day, as on each La
Dor Day for the last ten years, the
problem of unemployment hangs over
us like shadow This problem still
calls most urgently for solution.
1t is clear that the way to end the
unemployment situation would be by
putting the unemployed back to work
in private industry, where the work
ers now jobless may again have the
opportunity to toll and earn and be-
come consumers of the products of
industry.
The American Federation of Labor