UNIONISM.

Oamaru Mail, Volume XIX, Issue 5895, 16 March 1894, Page 1

UNIONISM.

TO THE EDITOR. Sir,—lf you will allow me a small space in your impartial paper, I wish to show other members of tho Union how I havo been treated by the officers of tho Oamaru branch re the dispute with Clark Bros., contract mill owners. I was the only member of the Union working at No. 2 mill and my cheque from tho timo tho mill started was at the rate of L2 5s per week. I was forced to leave the job or be stigmatised as a blackleg or a traitor to the Union. The officer in charge made a special journey to call me out, but I refused to come till I had riven Mr Clark a week's notice, being satisfied with my employer and wages. Sir, I consider it a gross injustice to call a workman out if ho is earning a fair wage. 1 havo lost a long job, and am now having to travel many miles to get another one without succoss, and without the Union coming to my assistance to find me work. Sir, lam a thorough believer in every workman being in a union when it is carried on fairly and impartially to both parties, but when men are elected as officers to settle disputes, who use bounce for their main point of argument, they do their cause ten times more harm than they can possibly do good ; and I hope my case will be'a warniiig to all members who havo their own interest at stake, and, like myself, refuse further subscriptions whilo such a state of things lasts in the management of the local branch. I am, etc., J. Martin.