Printers Organize a Pacific Northwest Union
Regional labor delegates meet in Olympia to consolidate power and push for standardized representation across state lines.
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C. E. Hawkes, district organizer of the Typographical Union, has returned from a convention in Olympia with a plan to strengthen regional labor. The convention, attended by delegates from Victoria, Vancouver, Portland, Seattle, and other regional cities, voted to disband the old voluntary federation in favor of a compulsory district organization. This move aims to centralize representation and reduce the financial burden on distant locals by electing delegates through the district level rather than individual unions. Furthermore, the union intends to organize smaller towns by establishing 'chapels,' which will act as local employment bureaus. The convention also took a stand against state legislatures outsourcing printing work to other states, advocating for local control over public contracts.
“The convention condemned the practice of the state and provincial legislatures of sending work outside their own commonwealths, when every bit of it could be done at home.”
This early attempt at cross-border labor solidarity highlights the ongoing tension between regional industry interests and globalized supply chains, a struggle still felt in the Pacific Northwest’s unionized sectors.
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