The people's voice. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1939-1969, 1950-11-10
Labor's Contribution To
Democracy
First ($100) Prize


The labor movement in America be-
gan, as most reforms do. out of ne
cessity. We do not have to go back
many years to the days of the .sweat
shop, nor do we go back very far
to the days when men worked sixteen
hour days. There were no laws to
govern hours of labor and conditions
under which men worked. Labor I'M
ions did not gain very much strength
until after World War |. Because of
the Introduction of new methods, i'm
proved machinery and faster trans
portation, necessity demanded that
labor improve its methods. Labor I'M
ions began to gain strength when they
learned that the ballot is the most
effective method of gaining their
ends. Some people would have you be-
lieve that the American labor move
ment is subversive and communistic
That is absolutely untrue 1t is def
nitely American for all classes of peo-
pie to better their living conditions
and that is the purpose of organized
labor.
People refer to the good old days"
when every man was free to do as
he pleased. We point back to those
good old days when corporations
shipped in immigrants by the boat
load for cheap labor 1t was profit
to the corporation. Then came the
time when immigration was almost
stopped. The corporations had no
way of securing more cheap labor.
Then they had to deal with American
methods. While labor crafts go back
many centuries, they were of little eff
feet as long as they did not co-ordi- |
nate their efforts. The American Fed |
Grafton of Labor, though some seventy
years old, did not gain much strength |
until after the beginning of the TWEEN
tieth century. Under the leadership |
of Samuel Gompers, it began to ex-
pand and to organize crafts in the
various industries. Today it has about
eight and one half million members
and is potent power in politics.
Some of the reforms that Ameri-
IAN labor has accomplished: Eight
hour day, workmen's compensation
avs, Child labor laws, elimination
If "sweat shops, also better and
healthier working conditions in fac
.ories and mines. Labor has also Civ
IN it's support to social security, old
age pensions, education of the handi-
capped and unemployment insurance.
The American labor movement to-
lay is not an impotent force. 1t is
IN active vigorous group of men and
with ideals and the ability
% put them across. Combining the l
10 and the ALL, some fourteen mil 1
ion members are alert to lettering
he conditions of labor. 1t is an =
american tradition to make America :
better place to live, labor lives up {
o that tradition. There is the great !
,ulk of American labor who takes a !
rec ride on the gains of organized +
abor They have better education, :
etter living conditions, more con- i,
not because they have all =
armed it, but because some drawer !
ouls fought their battles for inn !;
rovement. :,
Lincoln once said, America can n
OF exist half slave and half free; +
either can it exist ten per cent g
yealthy, 40 per cent self-supporting
nd so per cent impoverished and
Yes, the American 4
abor movement is necessary to our a
.merican and democratic way of life.
KERMIT E. HARTLEY c.
Senior High School [
Billings. Montana Z