American Unionism.

Maoriland Worker, Volume 2, Issue 11, 19 May 1911, Page 3

American Unionism.

By "YANK." From information received from a private source conditions industrially are in a very bad way on the Pacific .Coast, U.S.A., just now. In San Francisco there are at least five thousand unemployed and thousands of workers working only half tim-e. The restrictive clauses with Unions has a tendency to keep out those who would otherwise be unionists. For instance the Labourer's Union imposes an -entrance fee of 10 dollars, besides laying it down that candidates for admission Must be American Citizens. The same rule applies to the stevedore (■wharf-labourers). In a country such as America where an extremely large proportion of the workers are foreigners the evil effect of such a provision can at once be seen. Other Unions—such as the hod-car-riers—only admit a limited number to their Union upon the payment of a fifty dollar -entrance fee. The same provision applies to the fancy glassblowers with the exception that the entrance fee to that organisation is five hundred dollars (£100). Against this state of affairs, which has a -tendency to breed scabs, the I.W.W. is putting in some magnificent propaganda There is a very large section of non-Union workers—noii-Un-ion because Unions will not allow their entrance, who expect when the work of preparing for the forthcoming Panama exhibition commences that they will be able to force the "open shop."