THE STORY OF THE TYPOGRAPHICAL UNION
Silverstein, Louis
The Story of The Typographical Union "Big Six" of New York (1850-1926) By Louis Silverstein What has Happend Before PHJNJ&C* mgrneMm ar* among aw oUet of anp croft in &e United Statu. The Jtraj...
...hood of Cuban Railroad Hen, hi gagf te Jail atehw to contradiction wito Bm liberal piofassloh* of Pi nnlilmiii"Bnb # ehado, who promised toe raUraadadp* square deal when he intervened toaMfi the Strike to May...
...of us were supposed t* be "brothers" in to* AntlFasclst meeting*, members af . to* same united front that fought., tha common enemy...
...Greeley said he would pay what was demanded under protest and encouraged a lively discussion 'in hi* paper ap to toe Justice of the, .demand* On toe evening.of August 12, however, an advertisement was sent to the composing room of- toe Tribune...
...At the beginning "toe workers on newspapers dominated the union's policies...
...The Communist brothers did net evenjefrain from usingSbe Communist methods - against to* '-'brother*" with whom they were allied to combat Fascist violence...
...All th* member* of toe Bureau were re-elected...
...You stand for' dictatorship and the methods, of violence' and the rule' of the minority...
...sratem < ia ¦ to* tMtfe...
...cause of th* enslaved Italian people by exposing the brutal Fascist'government, which the black shirts have established through murder, arson, castor-oil and violence of all aorta...
...They, abused the power they bad .wrested through such mean* to aha Ant!-Fascist Anton** to morally coerce, thp ether groups and enjoy immunity white' attacking and a tendering th* . Socialist and .trad* unions loader...
...Their next step was to remove toe headquarter* of th* Alliance from tb* Italian Chamber quarters, that, ik jLway from too arganixatton which had built the .Alliance and through .which th* -totter had earned the endorsement of such., important bodies as the...
...to* Brmamls, Jhby xi to Aaa...
...That waa the vacation movement of 1*19, still fresh in memory...
...a committee to conduct a vary oarefu^ surVer of toe state oi affair* of to* trade...
...Secretary Mertena reported a alight falling-off to membership to Htf, the total at th* end ot to* year having been 568,014, against l7t,tM a year earlier...
...Preparations for the twenty-fifth anniversary celebration of tha founding of the International trade unton movement oa Stpt...
...1, since several claimed' the oldest continued existence...
...It is useless and ridiculous'tor those who aggravated th* cause of split's and squabbles among the workers to now come, back and camouflage themseves as Unitarians and united front advocates...
...The fact that an...
...The fact that Arevalo, wb* mmtactive" to tbe leadership of toe BreBauv...
...Executive, in-regard to May let celebration Is going to be...
...INTERNATIONAL MEETS LN PARIS NEXT AUGUST The date erf th* next International Trade Union Congress baa been fixed aa Aug...
...Low wages, long and irregular hours, and the...
...union to accomplish Its purpose* It la typical of toe time tpat the...
...They "decided to date the beginning of th* organisation officially from January 1, 1150...
...In thla connection the Congress also recommended the fullest possible organization of working class 'youth fa association with the trade union 6bganlsatlons, the Trade Union Center and tha Socialist youth movement...
...This tarsighted report was made the basis for an organisation campaign to'rally tbe unorganised to th* union banner, if On the basis of these suggestion* the first Seal* Committee was...
...disfranchised the libertarians, the Communists rushed another motion...
...In IfiSO the firs* Thenmoiforp W...
...Finally the National Committee of the Trade Union Center was instructed to appoint/tor** ot its members ta the leadership of the b\bor defense corps...
...employment of two-third era (apprentices who _had' xai% ' completed their training) 'made toe.'conditions In the craft miserable...
...We will belong'to it only .oh* ope condition: that \t bar toe Communists who hav...
...In the matter of tbe depreciation of the Belgian' franc, toe Congress recommended thai the Executive Committee ef...
...What waa' isvelved waa ¦ the recutrement of the, union to*t borrowed or .exchanged type or mate be reset within a time specified by tbe local unions...
...Most of these women work underground...
...A history ot to* tatoxmxttamml trad* union movement, written by J. B*a*snb*ah...
...their delegate* outnumbering to* delegates of all tbe other groups put together...
...First they rushed .a .motion through depriving all the llber**rt*?*arTf"\ war* present ot the right to- vote...
...eneeb VtaaJeraav to* weU-knewn <m| ban labor toadar and* publicist, wk*j has represented Cuba's workers a% several coaterenoea of the tnf in iislpaVl al Labor Organization ef th* Xaejgem of Natioat...
...Commun...
...Of etaeamg -paaHers* e*a*tov sat cm with Ac ienget tontmmm existence, prohnpfy of amp «a*t ti fito.'Wt at WottingUn...
...a moratory ef th* Z. F. T. U, to to b* publtobed...
...New-scat** war* adopted to toko effect August it on tha dailies aaA August if en other work...
...In 1888 the book and Job hands had received increases aad In the spring of to* following year toe newspapermen...
...For several years tbe Tribune was operated on an open-shop basis aad it waa not - until 1S70 that cori dial relations were re-established...
...Th* experience of toe' past h*a confirmed bur conviction that these proposals of yours apparently'aiming at tha united front, in uobetancd are mad*- tkr to* *Sj* purpo** ot jcpaaing new, friction and...
...made a mistake when we thought the Communists would reform and refrain from doing in the ''Anti-Fascist United Front'" what their brethren all over toe world do in similar situations while acting under Instructions from the" now deposed "red, pope," Gregory Zfoovieff of th* Third International...
...When the Boston matter was.settled, therefore, th* New Yorkers agreed .to meet again 'to effect a permanent organisation...
...TheJ necettttj) for common action or treveUng tdrit, appratticethip and "rait," la* term oppHod to printer* working bdo9 the vmon teak of main, hi to the formation of the National Typographical SocUtg in 183...
...April UfO...
...Let each one of u* remain what we are...
...nationwide Labor Party In TiiIrs'BM...
...and .that tfi* itastic step* .Qeing token' to *x*-h*P**t: akjtatoa, aamtomtdf ftVA net "nbcsassrlly 'mean worse conditions for Th* matter- of definitely arranging tor- tha bunding up of a 'big can oral defense, fund for use to' strike...
...committee stated that the...
...nhm» doprenie* end the Chk\ War ornate the Unien hear* Now...
...You are Communists...
...But on* of Its more recent experience* ha* perhaps been more dramatic than soma others...
...In all Instance*, tha separate interests of the newspaper compositor* and to*ir"f*Ilow-craftsmen In th* book -and...
...capture or smash it...
...Tne Vnitod Hebrew Tiwfito^*a*<*toavdtodlta indorsement of theaawAsflFaaclatl Alllanca whicB wtfl topnmmt all- non-Communist, orgsntmtbas and win vtrodrerdaly carry oa -ths wsrk ot •ppoattog toa' cxtonaton of HsaBfliil's lnfinene* in 'toe Udltod 'States...
...Tbe loss waa mainly due to hard economic conditions and ia likely to be more .than made good to tb* not top distant future...
...In the first Installment of this series brief mention waa'made of torn* ancestors of "Big Six.** The Immediate occasion for the founding of 'the present anion three-quarters of a century ago waa the, need tor giving aid to tne Improvident printers on strike in Boston, who had recently formed a union...
...hit the high spots...
...We serve -notice on you that ¦ to aimilar proposals of yours we have nothing to answer...
...At the time w» hesitated rejoining it We knew that' with the Communists again participating trouble' lay ahead...
...At the tome time the /. T..U...
...we are Socialists and stand," for the democratic method of the free majority...
...For every- delegate of the big labor unions, like Local No...
...The investigators recommended tha eatobltohape'nt "of a uniform scale of wages td standardise market condition*, to* reduction of the number of apprentices to decrees* cqrapeUtlea.'the organlxatlon ot chapels In each shop for the adjustment 'af immediate grievances apd' toe reguiatton of internal affairs, and the supreme -necessity of complete unionisation iof sill printers in order to give strength to tbe...
...89 of the International Ladle* Garment Worker* Union they cent to the Council two or more delegates representing street Communist nucleua, shop Communist nucleus, county Communist organisation, district Communist organisation, intersection Communist organisation, and thus they, ruled supreme, at every Council...
...Nearly all tha Italian labor unions and radical groups rallied round the Anti-Fascist Alliance, which under tb* guidance and influence of the Italian Chamber of Labor performed Its mission «o earnestly that •avers...
...The dispute, however, continued with much bitterness for several years, and it was not' until 1857, whan No...
...Also In...
...It fought -through toe eight-hour rf*hl iB'tne -baoit"Snd Job ;to4ua^~'I|''ps^eTpatod m~to*'hawt*ap>r**cbfaiatlon plan from its inception to 1901 to Its lapsing ta 1911...
...Bualn*** panics such as tb.ose of 1817, S878 and 1881 have hit it particularly bard...
...Horace Oreetoy whipped *lt dally to toe "Tribune," but to ah avast' ' ' - Th* hnrtory St th* aJaf* negotiations of Big Six from to*n to now bag been affected by toa nuctaattona af...
...now on we will fight for tbe cause for* which our Comrade Matteottl secrittced hla .life' and along to* lines he believed best...
...Th* men considered this action aa double-crossing them, and at a chape) bseettag x>ef used 4o est up tbe displeasing "ad...
...Mistake Is Admitted Under these disgraceful circumstance* we could no longer tolerate the Communist tactic* in" the An ti-Fascist Alliance...
...Price* of commodities continued te soar...
...Labor Party be immediately approached with a view, to the Joint preparation of a scheme to prevent the Income tax from pressing to* h**yUy oa wag** ef to* worker* through the depreciation of the1 currency...
...Wa%^ waa- envpnastoed at the Jw^-Sfto congywss of tod Bekptoa Ftdmartea of Labor, babj...
...Thus Greeley, who only two yeara previously had been presented with a'four-hundred-dollar gold watch by the Tribune- compositors, now found himself engaged in an acrimonious dispute with the same persons...
...In the 'eighties recomerp tet in...
...pesdfton;' when ' prosperity has arrived nt j**a forged ahead' again...
...of inflationv toe worst sufferers . would -be th* workers, not to* capitalists...
...a. In spit* of th* Immediate naefi fm reform, the new argantoatlon did not bast**,to revohtttonto* tk« .condition...
...Tha Antl-Fasclst Alliance functioned for the purpose of combatting Fascist Invasion of th* Italian colonies in this -country, and to help the...
...central labor bodies endorsed it...
...Having...
...Jiacoma Matteotl It gained in strength and political importance...
...The output of toe Bengal mines has increased a great deal since the World War, and this ia partly due to that overwork squeezed out of the Indian women to the mines...
...To this trickery _ the Communists added arrogance...
...Under the "Washington agreement, these Bengal women are suppo—d to work not more than 54 hour* per week underground, but' toe .mine owner* to India demand that these women shall work continuously for So hours before taken to toe surfaos...
...The newspaper publishers protested against granting two increases in one year...
...i sisnfly" "captured" by numerous d*hun**B r'epreeentlng paper "maeUe" a**watov- . ttona...
...In answering to* objections raised by Some speakers against collaborating with the bourgeois parties in, defending the franc, C. Mertena, general secretory of the Federation of Labor, said that when toe steamer "Titanic" 'crashed into the iceberg and sank *1 per cent of th* first ctaa* passengers were' saved, 48 per cent ot the second j clap*, and only 95 per cant of th* third.-, class...
...W« must now admit that we...
...Alliance Reorganised Last year tn July the Anti-Fascist Allien oe waa re-organised and again placed under the auspices of tbe Italian Chamber of Labor...
...winter, Accls'n Soclahsta asm* eptf.iop Junq tor tod American Federattoa af Labor policy of "rewarding trtaads ape* puntshlng enemies" at the poU*/**V long aa toe unions had so a***/ of their own...
...When tima* hav* been bad, the union baa had to retreat or just manager to maintain He...
...These women receive only about 18 cento far .a 24-hour day underground, yet they have contributed about 84,000 to tha support of the locked-out .British miners...
...W»W to k* kemmj replaced ly^oNoSmmtT+ogrtpUcot<7aWto IS5Z...
...i FbSowtog toe aaaatidatod of reports by Louise'd* Bauckere aad -M...
...thto, organisation, aad ateo Indorsed 'to* reeolution passed at toe special congreas in January, for coopmtSob with too X. f. T. 'V...
...striking action...
...appointed.-aad after much discussion to* first scale of prices was adopted ori October tt, 1850, to .take effect February 1, 1881, The weekly wages ranged from lib to aa much as 114 per week, while the piece rat**, rah from 17 to 80 cents per thousand ems on various kinds of work., Twlva hour* constituted a working day...
...Last Spring they earn* to a public meeting for the political prisoners of Russia, to whjeh...
...r."Thla amy be pleasant add advantageous to two d£ WW WW Fas, oJst government .which -rules through the Identical methods of dictatorship aad violence which you advocate...
...Arbitration* was suggested in veto...
...It was atated to the edRa...
...The Jtraj *tr»> -WW ft** to tin...
...A dispute arose aa to .which union waa entitled to be „No...
...But' no *6en*r war* the meetings over, than th...
...l £. /«tmW in /a/5...
...lockouta,, ete- which, had .been approved Jn principle by toa preceding eohgre**, was toft to th* hands of the Bureau of the Federation ot Labor tar temporary adjustment aad will be placed before a future congress when general conditions ¦ will have become nearer normal...
...but we were told that tb* Antl-Fasclst cause was so paramount-to all groups standing together,, that the Communists ¦would notj dare injur* It with their disruptive.'tactic...
...Following a vain attempt to.'hm*JS...
...b*cause to* International ETnipn had refused to permit the arbitration of it* own laws...
...WHhin a month a detailed report followed...
...A constitution providing for beneficiary features was adopted...
...employer of labor, although an avowed friend of ba working man and a Utopian Socialist, could hav* been' perdtttted to be a member ** th* union, not to speak of having been selected te Its higbeat office, indicates what a muddled view of the relation* between labor and capital progressive working men bad to to* early partodNof industrialisation...
...The rhsrsati at being DnpUcated in the throwbm.-ak bomb* at trains near Santa Cktm s** not' very well founded, accerdtoS to Cuban labor men...
...ot work...
...rtal that the Cuban hoargeetoe pMU tictons "had rostrated ear ahum, to form a Cuban Leber ¦Party,'' but-fast how u bad keen -don* was not -«a> ptotoad...
...Italian Socialists Here Explain Organisation Of New Anti-Fascisti NO 'doubt by thto tha* you know of the spUt wfeiob ocourred recently in the Aati-Faaclat Alliance...
...Every d*F Fou...
...1 tq •> <» Paris, ******* toe Amsterdam Bureau ef tbe laternational F*deratkm of Trade Unions...
...dispute* wtih to* Socialist parties...
...To us Socialists, to* cause of Anti-Fascism Is so dear-dhat we felt we could not afford making it the laughing-stock' in the eyes ot the American Labor movement...
...A strike waa thus precipitated with' toe hacking of the unto* and th* whole organised labor'movement or whatever .there was of U at toe time...
...We will fight against infamous Fascism by refusing to have any dealings with too** whom Comrade Matteottl did-not trust...
...A great deal .of lawlessness, although disclaimed by the- union, characterised toe strike...
...Then -the Communists injected their "united front" spirit into it and tbe Alliance, for some time, bad to suspend its activity...
...shops run by the working man...
...calling for twenty compositor* to work at a rat* below th* union scale for the' Times...
...One of the moat Interesting disputes In which Big Six has ever- engaged waa that with its firsr> president, Horace Greeley, and toe New York Tribune, During the Civil War wages had failed to keep pace with the rising cost of living...
...Wa caa only...
...Thla enables toe mine, owner* to s*v* on th* charge* for sending -the worker* down into to* pits and bringteg them out -again...
...Immediately after the murder of the great Italian Socialist and labor leader...
...He atoo asssrrad toe delegates that.the Soclalhrt Deputies end Ministers would defend.the totonsts of ibb workers *g*cMv*ty...
...To settle tbe matter lota were drawn and the New York Printers* Union became New York Typographical...
...Tbe AnU - Fascist Alliance waa launched two years ago by the Italian Chamber of Labor of New York City...
...If.you are then in good faith it is criminal on your part to propose getting together with the 'traitors.' If you ar* In bad faith-wa do not Intend to play anybody's gameTherefore, and once and for all...
...On Saturday evening, January 12, 1»50, twentyeight Journeymen met at Stoneall's Hotel and formed toe New York Printers* IJnlon...
...This is tor your benefit and ie final, independently of what the decision ot our...
...Th* Mg last** three peon...
...instead of, drawtog up it* d*r maad*, took ntor...
...The great majority ot the delegates approved toe Federation's political activities during the past year, aa wall as its trad* union work...
...through putting- all Labor Unions 'below the grade of the Communist nucleus, that is giving the' thousands of organised trade unionists lee*'representation--.than several nucleus numbering perhaps several tons o...
...tha business cycle...
...otbar' group*' traitors, grafter*, Joblet "brother*" called to* leaders of to* holders, etc...
...Th* Italian Socialist Propaganda Committee of New York end Vicinity...
...wages and fori workers' pensldna...
...But it la unpleasant to us and to the working class who Is suffering, the consequences, .of your theorising and renewed dissensions...
...48 and No...
...H*d the Anti-Fascist Alliance been under-toe control of real liberty-loving leader* that outrageous action would have . constituted . sufficient gfonad for expulsion of it* perpetrators from the Alliance...
...ultimate rernedy, however, lay only in co-operative printing...
...We rejoined the Alliance • only tor discover soon after that tb* Communists returned all set to...
...Da Vtoemynck on -to* progrees of organising a tober defrnrn* mfiitto begun last winter, toe Congress decided unanimously to-giv* moral and financial support to...
...Job lines have been kept distinctlyJnjmlnd...
...Union No...
...waa betotoat sai . frulUeas attamptoat tha organIsattoa of tbe printers of New York\ had preceded toe formation of Th* , New York' Typographical Union that tha totter proceeded with such great deUberatoncss .in getttog started itself...
...Belgian Unions Firm In Fight on Fascism...
...progress...
...gome cdubtrtaa groat meeting* are .^to h...
...and.then, at Its first quarterly meeting fit...
...X* are.far advanced.to most countries...
...proved to be devoid of any sense of decency and avowed epemle* of free " discussion, democracy and Liberty...
...connection with* depreciation, "th* Congress - urged thai raising of the limit of exemption from taxation both for...
...B appointed...
...f A temporary organisation had been formed to "November, 1849, for this purpose, .and arrangements for rendering-' 'financial "assistance were made.- It soon occurred to soma of the Journeymen printers of New York that they 'had reason enough tq remain associated . to . help themselves as...
...to the international fight against Fascism...
...Belgian...
...if Belgium's financial structure..should.go to smash ttouugh, fh...
...yourselves ; say and rather accuse us of treason to the Proletariat...
...In this brief history- it is impossible to give even a .brief account ef all the I Btrikes, negotiations and activittoa ot Big Six...
...It Md*d Its toa...
...It that its old dtoaBW And founder, Juan .Arevalo, bad noM obliged to give up hie place atdto bead of fa* paper because of hls^Bnt sArcaratton to Santa Clara as &jaj] suit ef his connection with toe naa% road strike of tost winter and sprltV The new dh-eotor and part owssrwS Accton Socialista to Franctoeo Das...
...PERHAPS it...
...They deliberately caused a'riot and to* breaking up of toe meeting—Fascist methods on Anti-Fascist grounds...
...It regulated the latccduction of the temfypd machines, so that Its member*, only were permitWd to run add learn- *o operate toem.' tt swap nest i scales to meet th* new-omdltlona and' tought wage Inereaeee ami tbn* reductions commensurate vWttk tgo gates made possible by tlVe Wewr nmdbanioal improvements...
...And they captured ttl ^rbey-eam* one night to a general meeting of the' Alliance with pre-arrangedplans...
...aa wMPaa a aeries of postcard photograph* of tha oe*t-kaawn icadata of to* trad* unton movement...
...well...
...Our great Antl-Fasclst martyr, Jiacomo Matteottl, Just a.few weeks before he, suffered riartyrdom to the Communists who had Invited the Socialists to form a* united front, answered thus.: , ' 7, "Communist Party, Rome1: " : "We have received,'your letter containing . toe mimeographed ¦ proposal you us* on all occasions...
...Hebrew Trade* Approve tha New Anti-Fascuti AUmobss -The United Hebrew Trades, vtotoh baa *npported the old Aati-FsxcteuV AHianoe, baa voted to withdraw, fronv told orgaaiattiory which, waa...
...As yon are interested ba tbe affairs of tbe labor and radical movement wa believe you are entitled to know what, hrrnigh$ about ibis spilt...
...htW m* name asm <inhgod to HnternationoT h*comee of Ae mdtuion+f CanpeTw UcoK ' ' thtring tot imrfp-jrre pear* mat followed Ac nrganiin¦6m~h*f*j0 tofbtosfi Uoolf m «V face o^clkpnk bad mU,*mmi -Strike* men heaoent and dtotaVeaa, There want no praoimmm for contmtued control end fmandnl eoMtonee...
...Signed) "MATTEOTTI, "Secretary of the Unitarian socialist Party of Italy...
...In 18CI it participated in organising, the National Typographical Union with thirteen other organisations, as explained' in the first article of this history...
...d began to prove unmistakably that it bad tha interests of to* combined compositor* do** at heart that toe amalgamation waa effected...
...Tbe members .of the co-operative union went over to a body just aa If they had always been members of the New York Typographical Union...
...they came In large numbers...
...From...
...In 1858 they formed a rival group, the Printers' Co-operative Union, and appeared at the annual convention of the National Typographical Union, clamoring for admission with Jurisdiction over the book and Job printers.' The national organisation in the face of a determined group ruled that It was to th* interests of the workers to have but one unto* to each city, recommended th* abolition of the obnoxious benefit system and urged both bodies to com* to some amicable settlement and consolidate...
...waa elected president...
...The book and Job hand* not outy* felt that Big Six did not car* about them but-that the .beneficiary features entailed too heavy a financial burden upon those who were simply interested in the economic aspects of the union...
...World Congress for Paris Labor Doings Abroad craM...
...In general, toe New York Typographical Union'lived through all toe experiences of th* national organisation...
...The "Journal of Commeroe," than aa now capTtaltetically caxes-conscious, oould not- ba forced to cam* to term...
...An international conference of trad* union women will be held to conjunction with the Paris congress...
...At tha following meeting, on January ' 19, Horac* Gseeley.- editor and publisher of the - New York "Tribune" and at one tone a Journeyman printer faimeelf...
...Hark Slonlm, a fonher Socialist Revolutionary deputy to tlfc Constituent Assembly of Russia was the-principal apeaker...
...Therefore, -there is nothing in common between' you and us...
...To Be Continued Next Week) WOMEN ENSLAVED IN BENGAL MLNES ' Working conditions for to* some *<>.000 women belonging, to tbe Bengal miners' union are just about as bad aa they ever were and have not been materially changed by India's formal acceptance of several conventions of toe International Labor Organisation of the League of Nations,' supposed to ameliorate 'the working conditions of women and children, reports to* Calcutta correspondent- of to* London Dally Herald...
...We have withdrawn from the Anti-Fsselst Alliance, inviting all those who are disgusted with the Conuaunist' tactics to follow- our example...
...As dVat *v*w»ia»ao, t* ,iJ93r koto £. New York ^Chg...
...A new, Antl-pasclst organisation Is being-formed...
...In aW aprtp organize*** fir **-*> tdmn and economic /enchant ttnggUd /ar •**r*mm> TW* wen xmnp local union* scattered throughout the emmtry...
...h*M and stop* nave been taken to hav* speoohe* broadcast te toe meat Important language...
...The first working card was issued to Charles Walter Colburn,' at whose home the first preliminary meeting had been held, ta December the new union was represented at the First National Convention of Journeymen Printers of the United States held to, New York City, and at toe second treating the following-year...
...Strike* were necessary to enforce these demands, in some cases' only partially successful...
...In 1686 a constitution providing for a centrntixmd form of tcwrmtat km* adopted...
...took-an active part in ertabUthmg the American federation of Labor...
...CUBAN LABOR PAPER HAS NEW DIRECTOR Aaotaaj Sosjahato, the flghUng blgf weakly ef Ttorsns, 'announced m^S to*** of Aad...
...the members...
...Central Labor'.Councll ot Greater New Tork, tbe United Hebrew' .Trades, Workmen's Circle, etc Meetings Disorderly —~W* mum nefcj- attend a sesatop wf the Anti-Faapiet Alliance without nearly coming to bldwsv The Communists had made a mockery of democracy...
Vol. 3 • September 1926 • No. 34
