THE OPEN SHOP

Evening Post, Volume CXI, Issue 70, 23 March 1926, Page 3

THE OPEN SHOP

ESTABLISHED IN 'FRISCO

PUBLIC RIGHTS VINDICATED

CHANGING ECONOMIC CONDITIONS.

An interesting and valuable contribution to the solution of the problems arising from trades union domination has been' made by the Industrial Association of San Francisco. An article, by. Mr. Max J. Kuhl in the "American Plan," a bulletin issued by the association, explains how, in five years, conditions have changed frrm those in which the entire economic power of San Francisco lay in the hands of trade union leaders, ij those in which industry proceeds without cessation, and the rights, not only of employer and employee are protected, but also those of the public. The experiment began in the building trade,, but hat since been applied to many other industries. ' Five years ago, San Francisco, like most of the large American cities at the present time, suffered from the application of the' principle of the closed shop. The closed shop is one of the main features of 'American industry. The object is not only to prevent the employment of non-union labour, but to limit the number of apprentices, to retard the introduction *o£ machinery .that might cause the dismissal skilled aitisans, and to impose Btringent condition's, and high fees for entrance to. unions, thus keeping the membership of any particular union at a comparatively low figure. The insistence on the principle of the closed shop by trade union representaties at the industrial conference convened by President Wilson shortly after the war was one of the reasons for the dissolution of the conference. The United States Steel Corporation not only declined to jcept the principle, but refused uncompromisingly to recognise ' the unions and to indulge in collective bargaining. " " Conditions in the building trade in San Francisco five years ago were such that employers did business under such terms as they could cajole or extort from the unions. Wages and hours were arranged by the men, and working condi-' tions were ordained by resolutions passed by the various trade councils. The entire initiative and control in the human relationship of industry lay with the employees, the best organised of whom' were members of the Building Trades Council. The organisation was so well established that the grievance of an individual tinsmith, hod •■arrier, or unskilled labourer was sufficient to cause an instant suspeusion of work. The council which formerly asked for concessions had become »o strong that it imposed conditions and sought the aggrandisement of its members at the common expense. STRIKE OF 1921. The building strike of 1921 directed attention to the folly of trying to continue ' under such conditions. Before the strike occurred the average number of bricks laid by each man on the walls of the large buildings in course of erection in San Francisco was 830. An arbitrary limit of 11 outputs a day was imposed in the electrical industry, and no brush wider than four inches was allowed to be used by a painter on any building. The building industry was divided into so many sections that at times even the union leaders became confused. If a plumber was called to a house to do a plumbing job he -would half finish it, and then say that he.could not touch a certain pipe because it could be handled only by a steam fitter. The ninn who unloaded tiles from a lorry to^ the footpath, and the man who hoisted th : tiles to the scaffolding, under union regulations had to be members of the Til«setters' Union, and to be paid tile-set-ters' wages of 9 dollars and 10 dollar* a day. No apprentice was permitted .to handle a tool except in the presence of, and working with, a journeyman. A proprietor of a small plumbing shop in the suburbs who employed two ov three.men was not allowed to handle tools at all. The paint spray, the cement gun, and the house-smith's machine were prohibited. A newcomer to San Francisco could not be employed so long as a local man of his trade was out of employment; it made no difference how idle or -worthless the local man might be. Many other harsh-condi-tions were imposed with the object of maintaining high wages and short hours, ami providing more work. The employer was not the only sufferer from union domination. The public felt the effects of the conditions in high prices and high rents. Difficulties were added by a system of interlocking contracts which the Board of Arbitration discovered existed among many of the employers and the unions. Under these contracts the employers agreed that they would not employ any mechanic who was not a member of the particular San Francisco union, and the men agreed that they would not work for anybody who was; not a member of the particular employers' association. This meant thit obstacles were placed in the way of industrialists from other parts establishing businesses in Sail Francisco, and that if they brought their own men to work for them no unionist in San Francisco would work on any building on which the men were employed. INDUSTRY PARALYSED. The strike of 1921 paralysed the building industry in San Francisco, and _the position became so serious that the industrial relations committee of the Chamber of Commerce called several meetings, which were attended by some hundreds of the leading business ai-d professional men of the city. An appeal was made to the courage and patriotism o£ the community, and was answered with alacrity. It was decided to form an organisation that would continue the work that the unions had abandoned—a task of magnitude in a city that i s described as "100 per cent, unionist." Men were obtained from other cities, and were r 'yen reasonable assurance of continuity and permanence of employment and fair wages. The bringing of the men to the city was the beginning of the disappearance of the closed shop. The leaders of industry, at the outset, announced that they would not import jjrofessional strike break-- •. As the strike showed' signß of ending, and unionists began to return to work, it was decided to hold a conference regarding future policy. It was felt that an organised institution of some kind must be created to protect the public, to protect the. workmen, and to protect employers. This was the origin of the Industrial Association, which adopted as its cardinal principle the right of any person to .seek, obtain,' and ictain work for which he was fitted, and the right of the employer to engage or dismiss employees irrespective of membership or non-membership of organisations or associations of any kind. It was also agreed that no understanding should be reached between employers and employees that du-rerarded the public interest, aud that no agreement should:be tolerated that \riii illegal or contrary to somil public policy, whether made between the empbyers themselves ov with their employees and others. After the men had returned to work the claim was made that San Fraucitco was the only city, in the United States, :anr\ as far as researches showed, the only city in the Eng-lish-speaking world, in which unionists and non-unionists of the name trade or craft worked contentedly side by side. The men were paid the guaranteed minimum wage, and wore given an eight-hour Any and a Saturday half-holiday. "Compared with the average number of 800. bricks laid daily by each man the number was increased fror.. 1700 to 2100 a day. Instead of 11 outputs being produced each day electricians produced 18' and 19 outputs. Hod-mixers mixed 17 barrels of mortar a tlay instead oE 10. Apprentice boys were allowed ■on every job, and the paint spray and the cement gun were used on every buihlinpr. The arbitrary limit on the size of brushes that could be used was abolished. Practical trade schools were established, and after training for five months i the schools boys were allowed to take certain employment on buildings. The result was thnt, while every otla- city in the United States suffered a shortage of plasterers. San Francisco had mo!- plasterers than at any time in its history. I? a year and a half more than 1100 boys from the schools obtained employment iv Ran Francisco. RESULT OF NEW SYSTEM. Success lias' followed tin; adoption of the new principles from the beginning. hi I!)'J3 So per cent. of.tin; men employed in San Francisco worked under open shop condition!-:. Wages arc fair and generous, and employment ie said to be more eon- J

.tuitions than in any other place in the United States. ! The best indication of the progress that has been made is provided by figures showing the number of building permits granted in recent years, the sales of real estate, and the increase in shipping. In 1921 6313 buildings were erected, of a total value of 22,244,672 dollars (normally £5,561,500). In the iirst nine months of 1923' the permits granted numbered 7415, and the value of the buildings to be erected was 34,109,996 dollars (normally £6,822,000). Sales of real estate in 1921 amounted to 80,903,796 dollars (normally £16,173,000), but ii the. first eight months of 1923 they had increased to 114,592,765 dollars (normally £22,925,000). The value of foreign and domestic cargoes dealt with at S-n Francisco in 1921 waa 994,227,353 dollars (normally £198,846,000). The value of similar cargoes in 1923 was 1,976,133,50 C dollars (normally (£395,227,----000. It is manifest, as Mr. Kuhl says, that the victory of the open shop has hod tangible and material results, and has brought more than the mere exultation cf a winning fight. It has meant more than the triumph of one particular theory over another. The example of the unionists of San Francisco has a moral for workers in Australia, who would be better advised to consider whether their leaders are not misleading them than to accept without hesitation much of the nonsense and claptrap that is issued to them.