Labor Solidarity vs. International Orders
Everett unionists protest the Brick and Stone Masons International for forcing members to work on an 'unfair' job site.
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Local unionists are very sore at the actions of the Brick and Stone Masons International in connection with the depot now building. In early 1909, a small bunch of union carpenters walked out of the Seattle union and went to work on the A.-Y.-P. buildings under open shop conditions for a reduced scale. These men were expelled. When the contract was let for building the Everett depot, the same company won the bid and hired these expelled men. The local carpenters declared the job unfair, and the local bricklayers union stood in solidarity, refusing to work on the site. However, the International Third Vice-President Duffy arrived and demanded bricklayers continue, arguing that if union members didn't do the work, 'scabs' would. The local union, supported by the Labor Journal, condemned the International for prioritizing craft employment over the collective strength of the labor movement.
“Are we to understand that no matter how scabby a job might be to other trades it is fair to bricklayers if their union is recognized?”
This conflict highlights the historic tension between local grassroots labor movements and distant, centralized union leadership. It mirrors modern debates about whether 'solidarity' or pragmatic employment maintenance should dictate union strategy during labor disputes.
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