You ought to be out raising hell. This is the fighting age. Put on your fighting clothes.
-Mother Jones
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Wednesday November 18, 1914
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania - Sarah Conboy on Struggle of Southern Textile Workers
In her speech yesterday before the Convention of the American Federation of Labor, Sarah Conboy of the United Textile Workers, described the struggle of the textile workers now on strike in Atlanta, Georgia. Many women and children have been evicted from their homes and are now living in tents.
From today's York Daily of Pennsylvania:
A. F. OF L. AVOIDS 6-HOUR DAY PLAN
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WILL STRIVE FIRST FOR MORE
GENERAL APPLICATION OF 8-HOUR DAY
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Philadelphia, Nov. 17.-The American Federation of Labor in convention today adopted a resolution "inviting and urging" unaffiliated national and international unions, such as the railroad brotherhoods, to join the federation. The convention yesterday blocked an attempt to form rival unions unless the independent organizations affiliated with the federation. The federation also went on record for a more general application of the eight-hour day in all trades before beginning agitation for a six hour work day.
A description of the conditions of the workers in the textile strike in Atlanta, given by Mrs. Sarah Conboy, of the United Textile union, brought on a long discussion on the question of financing strikers by the federation. Mrs. Conboy told the convention that women and children had been evicted from their homes in the South and were living in tents. Delegate Hayes, of Cleveland, moved that an appropriation be made from the federation's funds. This brought President Gompers to his feet in a passionate speech in which he said he was willing to go deep down in his pockets to help the strikers, but the federation had no fund for such purpose.
References were made to appeals for the financing of other strikes and the result of the discussion was that Hayes' motion was modified and the subject was referred to the executive council.
Resolution on Hours
Following is the federation's declaration as adopted today on the question of a six hour work day:
That we favor a progressive decrease of working hours in keeping with the development of machinery and productive forces, believing there by that a decrease in the hours of labor will tend to a gradual elimination of the unemployed. We recommend:
One-That we strive for a more general application of the eight hour day in all trades and occupations before commencing a general agitation for a six hour work day, but in the event any national or international organizations desire to commence an agitation for a working day less than eight hours that they be given the encouragement and moral support of the American Federation of Labor.
Two-That the American Federation of Labor work unceasingly for the enactment of laws limiting the working hours of women and children to eight hours per day and not more than forty-eight per week.
Three-Where women's eight hour laws already exist an agitation should immediately begin for the enactment of general eight hour laws.
Four-That the executive council be and is hereby authorized to do all in its power to aid and promote the principles hereby enunciate.
[photograph added]
The Fulton Bag and Cotton Mills Strike
In order to provide some background on the textile strike now ongoing in Atlanta, Georgia, we offer the following article from The Survey of August 8, 1914:
A STRIKE AMONG SOUTHERN TEXTILE WORKERS
MAKING CHILD LABOR one of their four complaints against their employers from 800 to 900 operatives of the Fulton Bag & Cotton Mills of Atlanta, Ga., are on strike and a bitter industrial conflict is in progress. Local newspapers have kept publicity to a minimum, in spite of the fact that the situation is significant as presenting the first effective organization of labor among southern textile workers. This is also the first time that an organized body of southern cotton mill employes have declared emphatically against child labor.
Mediators from the Federal Department of Labor have gone to Atlanta to look into the situation.
The present strike was preceded by a strike in the same mills several months ago, when the workers protested against the docking system of the company and the rules imposed upon them. The management agreed to certain changes and the employes returned to work. But nearly every man who had been active in forming the union was discharged, and as rapidly as the company could find them out all who joined were discharged with the explanation that "We haven't any more use for you."
Almost as fast as they were discharged they were evicted from their homes. The marshal, directing the piling of meager bits of furniture and household goods in the street, became almost a daily scene for weeks.
One young girl of eighteen, who was in confinement, was taken bodily, in spite of the doctor's orders that she be not moved, to a neighboring house, and a few days later gave birth prematurely to a child that did not live. Another woman, moved without regard to the physician's orders, died in convulsions, leaving a tiny child.
The second strike has reduced many of the strikers' families to the verge of starvation. The men are holding out, however, in the belief that this struggle will mean much to the welfare of thousands of mill workers of the South-men, women and children-who have never before dared speak out.
The operatives have laid down these four demands as the basis of their return to work:
Reinstatement of the men and women discharged for joining the union.
Elimination from the mill of all children under fourteen.
Fifty-four hours work per week for women and minors.
Fifteen per cent increase in wages.
From the first, company officials have minimized the effect of the strike upon their operations. Children and Negroes have been substituted. "We can use whole families" appeared in big type over the company's name in the papers for days. The Cotton Manufacturers' Association, organized originally to fight child labor legislation, has loaned such of their skilled workers as would consent to go for the special compensation of two and a half dollars a day. The mill officials have asserted in public statements that fewer than one hundred of their employes had left, this being the number that walked out at one time in protest against the discharge of others.
On the failure of the newspapers to give publicity to the strike, and the consequent lack of public support for the strikers, the executive committee of the Men and Religion Forward Movement published display advertisements in the papers calling upon the workers to follow the example of their employers by uniting firmly, and insisting that the differences be arbitrated "by men whose sole object is to learn the truth and see that impartial justice be done." The committee denounce mill conditions and the refusal of the owners to treat with their employes collectively.
The guiding hand throughout the fight has been the United Textile Workers of America. It has been due largely to the influence of these organizers that the workers have been led to commit themselves decidedly against child labor.
"To put our little children in the mills before they are much beyond the cradle," said C. A. Miles, organizer of the United Textile Workers of America, in addressing a meeting of the strikers, "is only to keep them and the generation that follows poor and ignorant. The low wages and feudalistic system has fastened child labor upon us in spite of ourselves. What we want is decent living wages so that our children can be kept in school and have some chance to grow up healthy and strong."
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SOURCES
The York Daily
(York, Pennsylvania)
-Nov 18, 1914
http://www.newspapers.com/...
The Survey: Social, Charitable, Civic:
a Journal of Constructive Philanthropy, Volume 32
Charity Organization Society of the City of New York, 1914
From The Survey of Aug 8, 1914
(search with "Fulton Bag & Cotton Mills," choose p.476)
http://books.google.com/...
IMAGES
AFL Button
http://www.laborsolidarity.info/...
"STRIKE ON" Flyer
http://www.armstrong.edu/...
The Child's Creed
(search with "Child's Creed," p.475)
http://books.google.com/...
Atlanta City Warden on the Strike
(search with "atlanta city warden," p.476)
http://books.google.com/...
"Mass Meeting" Flyer
http://www.armstrong.edu/...
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Babies in the Mill-Dorsey Dixon
To their jobs those little ones was strictly forced to go.
Those babies had to be on time through rain and sleet and snow.
Many times when things went wrong their bosses often frowned.
Many times those little ones was kicked and shoved around.
-Dorsey Dixon
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