Ten Men, a Car of Onions, and Fifty Cents
A Seattle labor co-operative sent ten members to unload a freight car. The merchant paid them a nickel apiece—and the city talked about it.
The Seattle Industrial Co-operative Society accuses a certain man on West Street of taking a mean advantage of some of its members. The society does not demand any fixed rate of wages for its members, having it to the sense of justice of those who employ them.
A few days ago the firm mentioned telephoned to the society for ten men to unload a car of onions. The men went down immediately and worked about an hour and a quarter, and when finished turned in the checks, given them when going out, to the merchant to fill out, and he only allowed each man 5 cents for his work, or 50 cents in all. The men returned to headquarters somewhat wrathy at the treatment accorded them, but nevertheless glad that they were the means of swelling the treasury, even if only by 50 cents.
The story got out through some merchants in the city and has caused considerable talk. One of the officials of the society was seen yesterday by a Post-Intelligencer reporter, and said that while the society was glad to get anything for its members to do, he thought the worst feature was that it might discourage the men, who are being educated to work for the common good of the society, to receive so insignificant a sum. He stated that the men are always willing to work, and said the society does not care whether it is paid in money or provisions, just so it can get enough to feed the men through the winter months.
“He only allowed each man 5 cents for his work, or 50 cents in all.”
The nickel-a-man onion job is a precursor to today's fights over gig work, wage theft, and worker-owned co-ops. Then as now, the question was not whether the work was worth doing, but who got to set the price of doing it.
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