The Rising Tide of Walla Walla Labor
A weekly dispatch on the growth of new trade unions in Walla Walla, from teamsters to horseshoers.
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.
The Teamsters Union, one of the newly organized unions of the city, is meeting with good success in the way of increasing its membership. The very latest craft to receive its charter is that of the Horseshoers' Union, which will hold its next meeting at Labor hall. This craft was organized by Local Organizer W. C. Christie, the deputy representative of the American Federation of Labor. While the membership is small due to many shops being operated by master horseshoers who do the work themselves, they make up for it in enthusiasm. Meanwhile, W. R. Corbett of the Spokane electrical workers visited to rally support for their ongoing strike against the telephone company, debunking rumors that the men were returning to work.
“In forming unorganized workers into organized, disciplined bodies... the organizer performs a mission equal to that of the noblest of our heroic men.”
The tension between 'master' shop owners doing their own work and organized laborers mirrors current debates about the gig economy and the erosion of specialized trades. The emphasis on labor organizers as heroes of the era highlights a period where the foundational structures of modern workplace protections were being built through local solidarity.
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