The Thankless Task of Union Leadership
An editorial on the burnout and internal conflict that plagued local labor unions in Everett.
The story, cleaned up
A cleaned-up reading of the newspaper page: spelling and layout repaired, one story lifted off a crowded page. It follows the original closely but it is not a transcription. The original page is below; read it if a detail matters.
Nearly every union knows how hard it is at times to fill the local offices. The hall may be filled with members on election night and yet the offices go begging. The reason isn't hard to find; it is because usually the positions are thankless tasks. An officer may give the best service that is in him and yet he meets with criticism and abuse from a bunch of knockers that won't do anything themselves to help. We are all louder in our criticism than in our praise and every knock from a member when the officer is doing his level best, cuts to the quick. A union officer is always in bad, too, with the employers as they blame him for all the agitation and trouble making. How often you hear the absentee say he won't go to meeting because he don't 'like the ring' or they 'ain't running it right.' Get into the habit of picking the best qualified men in the local for office and having once elected them, stand back of them until the cows come home.
“We are all louder in our criticism than in our praise and every knock from a member when the officer is doing his level best, cuts to the quick.”
The internal politics of volunteer-led labor organizations remain a consistent challenge. This piece perfectly captures the timeless tension between active members, vocal critics, and leadership fatigue.
From readers
No comments yet. If you know something about this story — a correction, a family memory, a source — it belongs here.