Prosser Debaters Best Tacoma on Labor Rights
Tacoma high school team loses state title arguing for closed-shop unionism against Prosser's open-shop stance.
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Tacoma's school debating team, arguing for the closed shop principle of union labor, went down to defeat at the meeting with the Prosser high team last night, the Prosser debaters standing for the open shop. The debate was the final one of the state series and Prosser won the $50 prize. Tacoma's debaters were Schuyer Pratt and Norma Robinson. The decision of the judges was unanimous.
“Tacoma's school debating team, arguing for the closed shop principle of union labor, went down to defeat.”
The debate between 'closed shop' (mandatory union membership) and 'open shop' (right-to-work) remains a bedrock conflict in American labor politics. That high schoolers were grappling with the nuances of labor power in 1909 reflects how central the labor movement was to the civic life of the Pacific Northwest.
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