Chamber of Commerce Targets Striking Machinists
The Everett Chamber of Commerce declares for the 'open shop' amid a heated eight-hour workday strike.
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The Chamber of Commerce has declared they will stand by the 'open shop' henceforth and forever, effectively slapping striking machinists while side-stepping the real issue. The machinists are not asking for a closed shop; they are simply asking for an eight-hour day at the present rate of wages. They are willing to leave the question of affiliation with the union between the men and the organization. The Chamber of Commerce, representing the 'solid element' and 'brains of the community,' has shown more concern over the discomfiture of a few manufacturers than over the welfare of scores of mechanics and laborers. It is unfortunate for the city that the president of the Chamber of Commerce is also a manager at the Sumner Iron Works, where the machinists are locked out for demanding an eight-hour day.
“If we don't all hang together we will hang separately.”
The 'open shop' debate defined the Pacific Northwest's industrial era, setting the stage for decades of labor unrest in Everett's mills and shops. This conflict over whether management or labor defines the conditions of the workplace echoes through modern discussions on corporate influence in civic governance.
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