Page:William Ernst Trautmann - Industrial Unionism (1908).djvu/12

bulk, consisting mostly of Roumanians and Hungarians, were not permitted to become members of any union, although many of them had been organized in their native land. When their working conditions became unbearable, the companies' officials soon heard of rumblings; and hastened to protect themselves by inducing a few native-born wage workers to organize into a federal labor union; they signed a contract granting a small increase in wages and a nine-hour workday. They thought that by these concessions to a comparatively few the latter, would help to keep the other thousands in subjection. But the propaganda for industrial unionism also reached thousands of workers not organized.

One morning in summer 1906 there were standing at the gates of the big mills thousands of workers; but few only who could converse in English. When the whistles blew for the starting up not a soul would move; asked by the company officials what they wanted, one shout was given in response: "No work, if not $2.00 pay!" The mechanics could not start to work without these thousands of helpers. No committees, no arbitration offers. "Either $2.00 pay or no work." That was all. The company got police protection to disperse the masses, but suddenly, after two hours of idleness in the plants, the big throng poured into the mills to resume work.