Bulletin Volume 191 (Paperback)

This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can usually download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1916 edition. Excerpt: ...This effect has been 1nuch greater under the 1912 agreement than under the preceding agreements, however, because of the provision for colliery grievance committees. The grievance committee is both an inducement to the mine worker to join the union in order to gain the benefit of collective action on matters of local interest, and a weapon which the union organization uses to force him to join. No provision is made as to the manner in which the grievance committees are to be selected. There is reason to believe that such a provision was purposely omitted, since it would involve more or less formal recognition of the local union. In practice the committees are chosen by the local union and have refused to take up grievances of nonunion workers; in fact, it has been asserted by some operators that the mine committees are nothing more than an active auxiliary to the union campaign for membership and the button-strik-e method of compelling nonunion mine workers to join the union. There seems to be no doubt that the mine grievance committee has had the effect of aiding the unusual increase in union membership since 1912. The practical recognition by the employers of local bodies representing the local unions was certainly a factor of great importance in stimulating the immigrant mine worker to join the union, because it enabled him to see with his own eyes a concrete piece of industrial machinery which stood ready to.take up his grievance and if need be to carry it higher up for adjustment. It was natural, therefore, that he should join the union in order to acquire a standing before the committee; if he did not join, he faced opposition or lukewarmness on the part of the committee when he had a grievance to be...