Walking Delegates.

Southland Times, Issue 19264, 30 January 1904, Page 2 (Supplement)

Walking Delegates.

.»_ The rise and progress of the " walking delegate " is described in the Century Magazine for December, by Mr Franklin ClarkinIt appears that tho walking delegate dates from July, 1833, when James Lynch was appointed to keep an eye on carpenters who accepted piecework jobs from builders. The ousiness was to see that a slow pace was set, so that dawdlers should not ■ be outrun by. men who wero smart. Neither Lynch nor his immediate successors found themselves at all welcome among builders or smart workmen. Parks, of the Hamsmersmiths' Union, explains how he began : — " In organising men in New York I talked with them at first nice and pleasant, explaining how they could be better off in a union- Bosses began to learn that I was about, and pretty busy ,; and they had men stationed around tc 'do ' me. But they could not keep me off a job. I sneaked up ladders and elevator shafts, stole up on beams, waited for the men on cellar doors, where they ate dinner. Scuie did not believe unions would be good for them ; a nd I gave them a belt on the jaw. That changed their minds. Pots of men can't be moved by any other argument." He could not hold members in the union by the same primitive method. Convinced against their wills, they were impatient for promised benefits. So when his organisation was strong enough to " keep scabs off the jobs." Parks compelled contractors, one at a time, to " recognise " and have dealings with the organisation he had produced. He made it a point to learn when they were under bonds to complete their undertakings within a certain time. Then, as ho says, to keep men contentedly paying dues to his union, he would niake a demand for increase of wages. " Contractors would refuse, and I would order out the workers. We would win." Reluctant a s they had been to join, members became tolerant of Parks and his union, and now when you marvel how they Can put up with a walking delegate like him, convicted bf obtaining niloncy by selling out a strike, they answer : — " He brought us 4-Jdol. a day instead of 2d01.. and if he ' soaked ' the bosses for his own pocket, why, it doesn't corno out of us." » "•' Nothing in our constitution or bylaws," said a responsible labour leader to me, " prohibits a pickpocket from being a walking delegate or a walking delegate from being a pickpocket. If he is cajught picking pockets it is the business of constables and courts to deal with and punish him-— not ours. All we ajsk is that he shall get us more pay for less work." Two of tiie foremost New York architects were troubled fcr some time to discover why, without any warning, one of their buildings had been " struck." No one seemed tc know. " Ono da^," they relate, " a subcontractor came in. 'If you want to settle that strike,' he said, ' I'll tell you how.' 'Go ahead,' we replied. ' Break your contract with Smith, who is to do the painting.' ' But we have no contract with him ; we've merely talked with him about taking this job ; and, anyway, his part would net come for six months yet.' * Never mimd ; it's because a walking delegate heard you hud a contract with him that he complained, and had all the men quit.' ' What led him to complain ?•' ' Why, if you really had contracted with that painter it would mean thit he would employ a decor a tor that the walking delegate had a grudge against.' " Some electricians, union men, were drilling holes in an iron elevatorframe to affix lighting wires. Discovered by a walking .lelegate of the Inside Ironworkers, a complaint was presented that this .Vis not permissible. So, to avoid tro*.ih!.', _;,_■ man responsible fotr the construction said, All right ; let the inside w o rkei s do it. What do I care." Tho. inside ironworkers ca-me ; but a'l tiny did was to stand ojbQiit -vhl-« flu electricians completed, uie ttsk, and the only difference was tha*, two .el., ci workmen draw pay for the same job. In Pittsburg a builder, rijluyod, but at last successful, in f.n'.Lag -ihe proper workmen to remove from the rain some delicate trick/, ii. tended for indoor decoration, an-uouu'y begun himself to help them. JI. wr,.. ,uier-i-upted by a walking delegate, and warned th a t if he did not stop -.' ing such work himself a strike would be ordered on his whole building. On a recent Friday a New York builder prepared to l_jy some cement *So that it should solidify by Mo rutty, and as tho mason's labourers-, who usually do such work, were busy, he got the excavators to help hiiir: out. " A walking delegate came along," he relates, " and gave the whistle. All the men went out. It cost me 7odol. tc settle." Another contractor wanted to run a temporary pipe on a building so that the plasterers who were at work could get water on each lloor. " I told tho elevator man to put up the pipe or get the hoisting man to do it. After a while he called me up on tho telephone, 'If I do that the plumbers will go out.' I answered, ' Then for the sake of peace, let the plumbers do it.' Presently I received a message to the effect that if the plumbers* did it the steamiitters would strike !" Of many authenticated records at hand of tho callingi of strikes iu violation of silgmed engagements, it is necessary to cite but one. C. and Sons, a firm of pipe makers of Chicago, dismissed a pipecutter because, oji command of a, walking delegate, he suddenly refused to go on with work he had been doing" for more i

than union wages. They 'dismissed him 'because while in their pay ho took orders frojn mi outsider. T_lQ walking* delegate asked th^t the man Uc taken upon tho. pay-roll again. "Wo will leave it to arbitrators," conceded the firm. "To with arbitration !" exclaimed the delegate. " You forget we have a signed agreement with the union to settle disputes that w#ty." " Agreement be ! I won't refer this to a committee. It will be settled right now, with mo I'll call your men out at once." He did ; and they went. Tn the recent trial which resulted in the conviction of Sam Parks of extortion, n Jersey City employer named Plenty testi lied that he went to Parks's house to see if there wais u way tti settle his strike. Said Parks— " Yes ; in a business w a y. That's the way all strikes are settled. What's the size of your contract ?" It was ooOOdol., which gave a clue to the proper charge to make, and Parks fixed on 200dol-. adding. " 1 haive settled a big thing to-day. and this is my share," and he pulled out n roll with a oOOdol. gold certificate for a wrapper. In the back room of a saloon Parks \v a s handed a cheque. '" You do net expect me to put my name on the buck of that, do yo,u 7 Where s the money ?" Cash for the cheque was Obtained "at Lynch'si saloon." Parks put 2")dol. in one pocket, and ITSdol. in another, and then called in the delegate whose special beat. «"«& Jersey City. Pointing his thumb towards Mr Plenty, the employer, he commanned — " Now, you let Plenty alone, and we'll take care of you." In the building trades it has not been umusunl to " take cai'e of " all war-king delegates. One of them arrives at a unionised uncompleted .structure, _,nd being privileged to enter and consult each man, finds, perhaps, that a plasterer has no card. The delegate looks up the .builder, and he, eager to complete his contract on time, proposes that the nonunion plasterer be made union. "In itiate him now," ho continues ; " I'll pay bis fee." The builder paissos 10 dol. to tho delegate— for his courtesy — and the non-union plasterer is safely imi'o-iisod. aliul the fee does not necessarily go to the union. Of a more downright kind was tie Pittsburg tile-manufacturer, secreta-y of the Builders' Exchange League, L»f whom a walking delegate req'uestjd a private interview. " You are employing a non-unim man," opened the delegate. The tilemaker hesitated. " Cone down to business," Said he. " I've been to some expense to co out to see whether the complaint hid any foundation." | " Tlow much expense ?" ) " Fifty dollars" { " Much as that ? Don't you knsw that you can't get a bribe outjof me ?" " There's no bribe about it. Tint's what .you owe the union." ' " I intend to go on owing it ; 7ut I'll lirst get a formal statement of account." It was found that the union lujd not been consulted ; that no repirt had been made to it ; aind at a cisturbed meeting the delegate wosjrebuked (but net dismissed). j " I'll fix you for that," he th rattened the tilemaker. \ " Nat if I see you first," was- ihe response. ! , " Anyway, I'll put you cut of business !" ) " What right had you to demand the lO.OOOdoI. from Colonel Bird and the Brooklyn employers ?" Ipnuld Call, walking delegate, w-ap as cod on the witness-stand. He answefal— "It was to pay for the expense of the strike in 1894." " For a strike eight years bad ? " " Yes." You testified that you first demanded 5(),000dol. " Oh, that was only a bluff."' " Has your union been in the hjWut of making these collections ?" " Yes, it is done by all unions." " Nc/w, (ell me this. What did you men offer in return for this ten thousand dollars ?" " We were going to unionise the employers' shops." It was brought out subsequently that the money, was deposited in shares to the personal accounts of six walking delegates and leaders.