FACTIONAL FIGHTS IN LABOR UNIONS
Factional Fights in Labor Unions A Study in Human Relations in the Labor Movement By A. J. Muste Chairman of Faculty. Brookvood \ Labor College IN discussing the more systematic training of...
...were ao...
...Receipts ot the Federation tost year amounted to 8.371,2»« franc* (at If* cents apiece...
...11, l»3*> the balance in the unions' treasurers amounted to LMS.412 marks, against 114.942 marks the year before...
...In 1,014 cases the union* won...
...The dictum that truth atwaya triumphs over persecution te one of those pleasant falsehoods...
...Finally, there Is a liberal amount of advertising, by the local government or by the storekeepers, manufacturers and public utilities...
...All this a knowledge of the history' of the labor movement will give him...
...If not euppr used for ever, ft may be shrew* hjsak far centuries...
...Although it is doubtful if Its chiefs wfll dare to defy the All Russian Trade Union Council and apply for admission to the International without reservations, th* agreement with the Swedish union ig considered a step in the right directionUNITY NIDATIONS OFF IN BULGARIA Th* prospect* for unity ot the trades union movement In Bulgaria, which appeared quite bright a couple of months ago, have again become gloomy...
...At the end of 19x1 the membership bad been reduced to 111,819...
...In view ot th* reactionary attitude assumed on nearly every question ot national or Interna Hon el importance during the last few years by Havelock Wilson, the aged chief of that organization...
...History reveals, for enampte, that many ideas which seem new and promising are aa old as the hills and have failed whenever they have been tried...
...They have put a premium on the dropping out of members since' those who remained became heirs to the sums .already contributed- They/ have, abs or bed the attention of trad* unions often to the exclusion ot industrial work...
...Religious Fervor In speaking" Just now 6f the mass ol the membership as imbued with a certain religious fervor for the movement through a knowledge of its history and social significance, we have touched upon an aspect ot workers' education frequently referred to aa mass education, to which a moment's thought must be given...
...One such tour will be made this year to India by Tom Shaw, the International Secretary, and representatives of the British and German textile workers' unions...
...Brookvood \ Labor College IN discussing the more systematic training of labor leadership we have already indicated one way in which workers' education may contribute to lessening the amount of destructive Internal conflict In the unions...
...L. 8. The land of every country belongs, not to the landlords, but to the people of that countryJohn Stuart Mill...
...Some of us do not fool ourselves quite so readily aa others nor Indeed quite so readily aa we did before we knew a little psychology...
...In many cases supplements were added bringing In thousands and thousands of dollars for space sold...
...tor the moat part thay do not pretend to' be or want to be...
...The president of the Illinois State Federation of Labor Is John H. Walker, who is perhaps considered a brother in arms after the recent disclosures, of corruption in the Illinois primaries...
...thay do not car* to have come one else decide -for tbetm What ends they shall seek In Bf...
...There wap not even the Justifiable appeal to bay union label goods, because union label goods were not the stock In trade of these advertisers...
...11 and IS, showed the membership In tourteen countries to be 942,8*1, against 917,499 at the beginning ot the present year...
...Leon Rosser Land...
...But thai thesis works both whys...
...Ode point agreed upon was that Is future the campaign of abuse and slander of the "independent" press - against the L F. T. U. should cease, and this would have created a friendly atmosphere favorable to the speedy formal affiliation of the united movement to th* L F. T. U. • ¦ i But, as in so many similar cases, tt presently became clear that the Communists wsro not playing fair...
...Benefit systems have made for exceedingly high dues, certainly an obstacle In organizing the less skilled worker...
...Leader of the Fellowship, will speak on "Education vs...
...But there ia a very dltTerent^side to the story...
...Nevertheless, ignorance and deep rooted prejudice ever and again have been overcome...
...It remains to be seen ot-course to what extent we can truly besom* unprejudiced about our own , prejudices and can deal disinterestedly...
...It is doubtful whether much Improvement of the labor press can be expected in the present state of the American • labor movement, but whatever progress will be made will come from intelligent agitation...
...But somehow one has a faint suspicion that the character of the labor officials Involved has something to do with it...
...our own country and in other lands...
...1*01 Boston Road, will commence Sunday, Sept...
...that it will be an Inefficient business enterprise if It be not dedicated to the pursuit ot great human Ideals of freedom and brotherhood...
...tabot Doings Abroad holm .printed In th* Loins) gor VeJhasettung, <h* leader* -ot -tbm Bxkndaa Undent exVPuhllc Ses-vtoe Worfeera are anxteoa to itak up with the Swedish Public Service Workers and also to Join th* Fustic...
...Suddenly the lamb and the lion began a gambol together...
...In a class in shop economics the officers nnd active members of a textile union or railroad union or building tradee union meet to study the problems of the textile, the railroad or the building Industry, They examine the general condition of the industry and the Specific situation of the firms for which they are working...
...They have tied up the funds of unions which' should have been used in aggressive organization work...
...These were rejected by the independents, and all idea of union is therefore for the moment at an end...
...The Russian peasants taught tarn Soviets a lesson along this line that will be remembered...
...Trade unions must offer something mors than grand lodge attractions if they are to survive...
...wage disputes, ot which 248 went so far aa to cams striken...
...It will show him a heroic past that ia hia, and from a reading of modern history he will surely glimpse that hia movement must fulfill a 'historic role, is the bearer of mankind's hope for a new day...
...Perhaps, figure the Streator Babbitts, union labor is not so vicious ¦iter all...
...The delegates upheld Havelock Wilson's stand during the British general strike last May...
...He must feel that hia movement has a tradition and ia not a mere expedient of the movement...
...This study will "have two ¦eamingly opposite effects...
...John L. Lewis, president of the United Mine Workers of America, and other labor officials protested...
...Finally, they' have lost their appeal in an age of universal Ufa in-, suranc*, workmen'* compensation, savings banks, and unemployment funds conducted by aa" Industry as a whole...
...The unions' legs...
...For the rank and.file are neither so fickle nnd stupid or yet so all-wise and noble as they are' alternately pictured...
...Service Workers' International, affiliated with th* International Frdarattox of Trad* Union...
...Attendance at the Trad* Unload School totaled a...
...When the Swedish delegates then ¦aid that, it this were the easel there seamed to be no obstacle In the way of the Russians and Swedes working together, but that it must bo remembered that the rules of the Public Service Workers' International barred Soviet Russian trade unions tactics, the head ot the - Russian union is reported to have shrugged his shoulders and remarked: "Zlnovlef has fallen and the leading men of the Red Trade Union International have no Influence at all.,' The Russian Public Servloa Workers' Union claims 360,040 members...
...Of this sum one-quarter must be deducted for sums paid by three of the four non-A...
...Leaders and would-be leaders and trade union members will not fight quite so blindly nor misjudge themselves and...
...for the *n*n* •rear* war* 1&33.824 and ».78*.r*V marks, respectively...
...But those who advertised were practically entirely representatives ot capitalism...
...The universal use of syndicated material makes for dullBess and Uniformity of reading matter...
...However, in the face of determined protest Governor Sam Baker decided to use the saving clause to beat a retreat...
...F. of Ia big railroad brotherhoods...
...L. 8. THE BABBITTS EN MASSE GREET UNION LABOR Since the openf shop drive of 1921 Streator, Illinois, has had a.deadline thrown'around it across which union labor has dared not step...
...Doubtless, there are limits...
...In the long run, however, they want, to decide for themselves what they want...
...hence, the desirability of Joining a trade union...
...The corresponding figures for 1*34 were 8,078.880 nnd 84*1,94...
...Were these "ads" contributed by trade unlone and their allies there would be nothing but praise for„ generous assistance in financing- the American labor press...
...a gain ot It, Tit during the year...
...Reports from many countries told of hard times in the textile industry and of desperate...
...Having- It, they can be trusted in the long run to apeak for themselves in the large crises more' satisfactorily than anyone can speak for them...
...The penal authorities, of that state leased a coal mine from the Western Coal Company and put to wprk in it convicts for the purpose of mining coal for use in state penitentiaries and prisons...
...The occasion was a special one, and It was natural to anticipate that the beet thought and energy wonld be utilised to turn out editions worthy of American labor...
...Jehn Labor Day Issues Reveal f ^ Poverty of Ideas Suffered \ By General Labor Papers The Field of Labor rOSE who— ie*ular and arduous duty it I* to rummafe through . th"e hundreds .of labor Journals published in this country have, never ¦welled with pride as they contemplated the native product...
...The expressions of opinion of labor officials on public questions are...
...Rather do we suspect that they are compensated by dulling the fighting edge c-f the bade unions, for this advertising on Labor pay and other special occasions finances these labor papers for the remainder of the year...
...WelJ, for one thing, to boost the town...
...One ef the greatest tasks before the worker*' education movement in to work out plans by which the internalonal union, for example, confronted by an important issue, may get the facts about it before the membership to popular language ao that they may understand th* true situation and;in the light of that understanding make a decision...
...Among the reasons given at the convention for leaving the L T. F. waa th* alleged fact that the International "had proved to be more of a political organisation than a trade union.'* Ban Fimmen, International Secretary, wap accused of "issuing lnonifostoce without propei executive Instructions," and thus misleading...
...Shop .Classes...
...On Sept...
...An enormou* increase in advertising, ' amounting to outrageous proportions in numerous instances...
...Expenditures in these flights amounted to 2.ESS.S65 marks (worth 3X3 sne*a s*nbl...
...with our own chief interests...
...when this hsa been accomplished by workers' education...
...The Labor, Day Issues of these newspapers might have been expected to be better than the usual output...
...When, for the moment, condition* are such that the union must mark time, thi* will be evident to all concerned and discontent may bo reduced to a minimum...
...The Campaign Ot slander still went on, and it turned out that the agreements, concluded daring the absonocr abroad of the secretary of th* Bulgarian ©enter affiliated with Amsterdam (agreements which had led to withdrawal from the I. F. T. U...
...The next tour will be to the United States...
...Internal rows and emigration...
...There was a clause in the...
...As workers' education does that It will render an-' other great service, namely, by making clear what Ja th* true role of the rank and file in a democratic organisation and how they may fulfill that role...
...A report issued on Sept...
...Seldom does a situation arise such aa that In Missouri...
...membership at the end of.l*Jfi Waa 2S4.M4...
...81, 1944, being 1S1.202, and ob the same date last year, 149,997...
...official endorsement of central labor bodies...
...It, 1928, the Illinois State Federation of Labor opened its forty-fourth annual convention at Streator...
...On the one hand it j^Ve'so^ bering...
...Whatever local news is written op is so ambigous that only those already acquainted with the facta can make head or tall of the story...
...The Elks gave the delegate* the freedom of their building...
...It la hoped to arrange for a study tour to'Japan and China later...
...WHY BRITISH SEAMEN QUIT INTlvRNATIONAL IP confirming the report that the National Bailors and Firemen'* Union ot Great Britain aad Ireland, at its thirtyseventh annual convention, held recently In London, had voted to quit th* International Transport Workers"'Federation, a number ot European labor papers have pointed bat that this action was not at all unexpected...
...lease that required that the coal company find other work for the free miners bf September 1. This bed not been complied with...
...L. 8. LIMITATIONS UPON CONVICT LABOR Convict labor In and by itself Is not objectionable for a useful occupation Is recognized as a. road to redemption for criminals...
...The convict miners were ordered withdrawn and the principle that prison labor even for penal usee must not play havoc with free labor was affirmed...
...when be insisted that a vote must be taken by the members before responding to the call of the General Council of the Trades Union Congress^ The membership of the Bailors and Firemen's Union Is approximately 80.000...
...bureau looked after the Interests eg 1,42* workers during th* year...
...What Is all the hullaballoo about...
...The central labor body and th* chamber of commerce of the town united to make the occasion a memorable one...
...Chaoe," and Genevieve Kaufman win sing...
...MORE TEXTILE WORKERS • IN THE INTERNATIONAL Data submitted at a meeting of the General Council of the International Federation of Textile Workers' Associations, held in Prague, Aug...
...Data on the result of some'of the conflicts were not yet available when the meeting was held...
...and expenditures to 8,747,9«4...
...One wonders why business men should advertise in these supplements...
...2 by the Amsterdam Bureau of the International Federation of Trade Unions says that negotiations between the national trade union center affiliated with the I. F. T. U. and that of the ''independent" labor unions have been broken off...
...Of but year's expenditure* 1437,«ft francs went to help unemployed members, 1.288,89* to sick aad Injured unionists, 633.74s for lockouts sad strikes sad abesit-IJM*\fi*g tor administrative expenses, • If do Lard had...
...Had not organized labor been vigilant in this matter this provision might have been overlooked...
...the workers ot Xnrope...
...The various national organizations are urged to take part in these tours in view of their great importance to the international textile workers' movement...
...The Fellowship service Will start at 8 p. m. Rev...
...he must see vistas of progress and of freedom opening up before him...
...Rube T. Wood, president of the Missouri State Federation of Labor...
...tn 18S compromises were effected, and in only 4* did the workers lose...
...and erratic is every forward movement of man kind...
...A convention is a convention after all and if labor leaders are not adverse to assisting in realty and mercantile booms, why not be good sports...
...If our contention is sound, that the most disastrous ' factional 'conflicts occur when an Industry Is passing through ,* period ot ' depression -or transition and the- union finds itself unable 'to cope' 'with the situation, some -relief ia bound to result If the union can confront Its own members, the employers and the public with authoritative information about the condition* nnd possibilities of th* industry...
...A man can not lift himself by his own bootstraps nor Jump out ot his own skin...
...The Lithographers' Upton, with about 1,900 members, withdrew from the Federation in 192...
...History gives one a sense of how slow and halting...
...Material made solely, for prison consumption, however, has been considered permissible...
...the practical and the idealistic aspect* of the labor movement, may enable its members to aee that somehow the movement . will achieve no Ideals in this world unless It is an 'efficient business enterprise...
...but- successful, struggles to maintain the organizations...
...ceedtng...
...which all experience refutes...
...of conflict on...
...lavishly aped...
...each other quite so egreglously...
...Receipts tost year were 14.387,2*7 marks, sgainst 8,Hi,m marks hx1 1X14...
...i **• The...
...Certainly there - are degrees of simplicity and naivete...
...Expressions of sentiment friendly to organised labor were rare...
...If a union has a small minority of active' spirts who know some modern psychology, score shop oeonoaaifcrtand soma Mbornildtnry, and if *t??A*portant-Junctures provision is made to convey accurate and unpoisoned information in popular language to the rank and file, that union will have a sufficient check upon such leadership as' we have described in a - previous Section and may cherish' some hope of-being able to avoid serious fhKrnal Strife...
...Wood threatened legal action...
...he some such way workers' education may harmonise, not in any absolute sense, but for practical purposes from day...
...papMast PSkdPl nmshxV m AStc...
...The ideology is that of capitalism...
...Tet the trade unions have in general voiced a strenuous opposition to the practice on the ground that the products manufactured come into competition, and undersell goods produced by tree workers...
...These Journals are chiefly private ventures, having...
...We have now to indicate certain additional ways in which workers' education as directed both to members and leaders will bo serviceable...
...In a world that grows Increasingly large and complex, however, the masses must have accurate information in simple form if they are to define their own wants rightly and clearly...
...Classes' in "shop economics" most successfully developed in recent years by the Philadelphia Labor College and now being introduced in other labor colleges suggest a second way in which the workers' education movement may help to resolve some of the situations which lead to frantic Internal strife in onions...
...In 1929 the Berlin unions \ were involved in Ltd...
...If it be true, a? Ve have several times Insisted, that^the trade unionist demands practical results from his organization, it is equally true that he demands something entirely different...
...Some gain is bound to accrue from a more general spread of knowledge about how the- minds of individuals, groups, mobs, act...
...One hundred gnd forty-three union miner* were thus thrown out of work...
...On the basis of such a study, demands as to wages, hours, working conditions and improvement of production are placed before the management...
...Ail labor College* ought to snake it a point to teach the "now psychology" —how th* orator gat* hie effects, how the "group mind and t£e mob mind operate, how the reasons we give for our actions are frequently, pot reasons at all but excuses we fabricate to bide from ourselves' and others the real motives*of our-acts, how our conscious Ideals often fall to indicate the interests and urges (love'ot power or display, sexual urges, . fears, complexes) that move ua subconsciously...
...It is doubtful whether they receive returns in Increased patronage...
...BERLIN UNIONS GAIN MEMBERS IN ¥\GSm Fighting the economic battles ot tk* workers of Greater Berlin agreea with the trade unions affiliated with ''the Central Committee of that city, according to a report presented hy Secretary Sabath to a recent meeting of the committee...
...SWISS UNIONS HOLD ^ THEIR MEMBERSfflP A report on the activities of tap Swiss Federation of Trade Unions during* 11 tE recently mads public In Bern indicate* that the membership of the affiliated organizations practically touched rock bottom tn 1*23, and the* from new on gains, rather than losses, may be expected...
...he must have heroes to worship...
...technique of providing the information is one of the greatest tasks of workers* education...
...The argument is made that this is a complete rebuttal of the welfare schemes of company unions...
...It must provide him with something- in the nature of a religion...
...Intended est one halt do world should work hard ta support do udder half wa shegld . hay* got do new* long before thi* tim...
...To work out the...
...The proposals of the Joint congress of.these centers, recently held at Sofia at the suggestion of the regular trade unions, looked jet one time like .providing a platform tor' co-operation...
...FALL OPENING OF THE BRONX FREE FaLOWSfflP The fall activities ot the Fronx Free Fellowship...
...During a recent visit of a delegation of Swedish Public Service unionists to Russia- an agreement for co-operation between the Russian and Swedish organizations .was made and the Russians expressed their willingness to affiliate with, the Public Service Workers* International, as they bad studied it* statutes and had found nothing objectionable In them...
...We may rest assured that on thi* point they wtO do their own deciding tn the long run, Connerv***»#, *j?#m sedirghgjwW We must not let the apparent modern vogue ot dictatorship' mislead us on this point...
...Labor History » Another subject that workers' education'will emphasize is history—especially th* history of the workers through the ages nnd the history el th* modern labor movement In...
...slightest guarantee for equality of influence for bqth sides., a state of things which was triumphantly announced ia the Communist press...
...Result...
...tt* o*>er hand...
...On the one hand there win ' bo leas talking at random, Men) reckless bandying about Of unsupported opinion, wbdett always add* fuel to the flr...
...The Open Forum will begin at 9 o'clock sharp, and John' Herman Randall, of the Community Church, will speak on "Signs of' the Times...
...The Ktwanls and Rotary club* arranged to 'bold meetings to hear addresses of the labor Isadora The merchants raised a fund to defray the expenses of entertaining the delegates and visitors and hired three hundred automobiles for an excursion trip...
...The company union is also a thoroughgoing reproof to the old-fashioned beneficiary union, and in practice the former baa proved Its point by sue...
...The Fellowship Is planning many new activities for thin season, and preliminary announcements will bo made about th* new program' at this first meeting...
...There ia a carelessness or ignorance ot typographical layout...
...History teems with Instances of truth p«t down by per—utkan...
...The Bulgarian Trade Union Center therefore considered it necessary to propose certain amendments' to, the agreemtn...
...worded as to leave the Communists full freedom of movement, without providing the...
...Among the resolutions passed by the General Council was one providing for the organization of research tours to oversea countries to study the living and working conditions of textile workers In these countries and the economic situation there...
...They are not original thinkers, scholars or experts...
...l. e. UNION BENEFITS AND BENEFITS TO UNIONS The compilation by the American Federation of Labor of the 1925 figures as to the amount of benefits paid out by the various national and International unions' gives food for thought Twenty and a half million dollars were distributed bast year for sick, death, unemployment, old age, disability and miscellaneous benefits...
...There is a frank catering to the business Interests...
...American Plantation Pr*» v**^tn*J . ' Th* highest - man of u* Ie born brother te hi* contsmporsrieei struggle as he may, than* I* no escaping th* family likenenv— Carfyie...
...After having risen to lit.ili ta 1919, compared with 89.0*0 in 191*, the Swiss onions began to loee members rapitly ta 1911 because of economic crises...
...Union labor today constitutes but a small element in most communities...
...Then a halt was made, the figures on Dec...
...and e*|iiiiidllinss...
...to day...
...with - this knowledge unions will be able to make much more substantial gains for their members, will bo able to adopt a more confident and aggressive policy, which will furnish a sound basis for contentment on the part of the membership...
...And the best thought and energy, indeed, were consumed...
...It is within the lifetime of most adult Americans of today that practically a whole nation has learned to take to the fresh air and that the infant mortality rate has been drastically reduced by the spread ot knowledge about Scientific feeding and certain simple sanitary measures...
Vol. 3 • September 1926 • No. 36
