CONTENTS. PAGE I. Introduction and General Summary, 1. Principal Industrial Disputes during the Year, 2. Character of Increase in Union Membership, 4. Summary of Principal Data, II. Number and Membership, 1. International Organizations, 2. Delegate Organizations, A. Introductory, B. State, District, and Trades Councils, C. Central Labor Unions, D. Local Trades Councils, 3. Local Trade Unions, A. Introductory, B. Comparisons by Years, 1908-1913, C. Distribution of Local Unions by Municipalities, D. Comparisons by Occupations and Industries, (a) Occupations, (b) Industries, E. Women in Labor Organizations, F. Membership of Largest Local Unions in 1913, G. Membership of Identical Unions, 1912 and 1913, III. Unemployment in the Organized Industries, 1. Introductory, 2. General Review of the Immediate Problem, 3. Some Recent Constructive Measures, A. Subsidized Unemployment Insurance, B. Payment of Unemployment Benefits by Trade Unions, (a) Organization of Industrial Enterprises, (b) Decentralization of Urban Population, E. Unemployment Legislation in the United States in 1913, 4. Comparison of Charted Returns for the United Kingdom, Germany, New 5. Summary of Quarterly Reports Received from Labor Organizations in Massa- 5 6 8 10 11 11 14 14 14 15 15 16 16 16 17 19 19 20 21 22 22 24 24 26 27 27 27 28 29 29 31 31 32 36 36 38 40 41 45 47 60 Specimen Forms of Schedules used, 62 [3 Pt. II. ] SIXTH ANNUAL REPORT ON LABOR ORGANIZATIONS, 1913. I. INTRODUCTION AND GENERAL SUMMARY. 1. PRINCIPAL INDUSTRIAL DISPUTES DURING THE YEAR. Since the close of the series of spectacular strikes in the early months of 1912 (of which the strikes of textile workers in Lawrence, Lowell and other textile centres, followed hard by the strike of the railway employees in Boston, in June 1912, were the most noteworthy) the industrial life of Massachusetts has not been disturbed by any very serious labor disputes. Six strikes which occurred during the year 1913 received considerable notice in the press, and, while covering a period of some duration and affecting comparatively large numbers of establishments and employees, were unattended by any large degree of disturbance such as characterized the strikes of 1912. These six strikes may be briefly described as follows: 1. A general strike of garment workers in Boston and vicinity, affecting more than one hundred establishments and about five thousand employees, continuing for about two months. 2. A strike of machinists, blacksmiths, etc., in Hyde Park, affecting two firms and 889 employees, continuing for about five months. 3. A general strike of raincoat makers in Boston and vicinity, affecting 25 firms and 595 strikers, continuing about two months. 4. A rather general strike of boiler makers in various localities in the State, affecting 13 establishments and 473 employees, continuing for about two months. 5. A strike of Poles and Greeks, employed in one establishment engaged in the manufacture of hosiery in Ipswich, affecting about 800 employees and continuing for about three months. 6. A strike of barbers in Boston, affecting about 200 shops and 1,200 employees, continuing for about nine days. [5 Pt. II. ] The first four (in the order enumerated) of the six strikes described above, were conducted by organizations affiliated with the American. Federation of Labor, and were not attended by any serious demonstrations. The strike of the Polish and Greek hosiery workers in Ipswich and that of the barbers in Boston, both of which were under the direction of representatives of the Industrial Workers of the World, were characterized by a certain amount of demonstration, but in no measure approaching that which attended the notable textile strikes in Lawrence and Lowell during the previous year. Indeed, except for intermittent outbreaks, the activities of this somewhat revolutionary organization seem to have been transferred to other portions of the country, particularly New Jersey and the Middle West, each of which localities has been the recent scene of turbulent industrial conflict in which members of this organization have participated. The eminently satisfactory settlement in 1913 of the controversies between the Boston Elevated Railway Company and its employees in the one case, and between the New England Telephone and Telegraph Company and its employees in another case, appears to have resulted in a disposition on the part of employers and organized employees in various branches of industry, in addition to boot and shoe manufacturing (where arbitration has been largely in vogue for some years) to secure an adjustment of controversies through more peaceful methods than those associated with the strike, boycott, or lockout. Whether this disposition augurs well for the future, or merely represents a period of truce, it would be difficult to determine by means of evidence furnished through such a short period of time, but it would appear, from a study of the prevalence of collective agreements and from the numerous awards which have been made by Boards of Arbitration in this State, that the industrial agreement as an instrument for securing industrial harmony is being accepted with increasing favor by both employers and employees. 2. CHARACTER OF INCREASE IN UNION MEMBERSHIP. With reference to the growth in the number and membership of labor organizations in the Commonwealth during the year 1913, it may be stated that the increase during the year in the number of unions and membership has hardly matched that of 1912, but attention should be called to the fact that the net increase of the present year has counterbalanced a decrease of over 7,000 which has occurred in the total membership of the Industrial Workers of the World since the termination of the strikes in Lawrence, Lowell and other places in Massachusetts, in 1912. During the year 1913, under review, there has been a net increase of 42, or 3.1 per cent, in the total number of local labor organizations in the State and a corresponding net increase of 4,958 members, (2.1 per cent) as compared with a net increase in membership in 1912 of 79 unions and of 45,730 members. About one-third of the net gain of 45,730 members of labor organizations in 1912 was contributed by members of local unions affiliated with the Industrial Workers of the World, the number of members in Massachusetts affiliated with this organization having increased from 1,292 in 1911 to 16,546 in 1912. A large part of this increase consisted of textile operatives in Lawrence, Lowell, New Bedford, Fall River, Haverhill, Boston, Holyoke, and Webster. Instead of a gain in the membership of this organization in 1913, there was a marked decrease of over 7,000, the membership at the close of the year having fallen to 9,157. Disregarding the somewhat transitory membership of the Industrial Workers of the World in 1912 and 1913, the membership of all other local organizations in the State was 220,222 in 1912 and 232,569 in 1913 representing an increase in the more conservative organizations of 12,347, or 5.6 per cent. On this basis of comparison the increase during the year in the membership of labor organizations in Massachusetts may be considered a normal one, and it compares very favorably with the corresponding increases during the years since 1908, in which year statistics of membership were first obtained. The principal sources of increase in the number of organized employees in Massachusetts during 1913 were found in the following occupations: Garment workers, 3,421 members; street and electric railway employees, 1,445 members; carpenters, 1,295 members; electrical workers, 1,272 members; retail clerks, 773 members; bookbinders, 595 members; boot and shoe workers, 675 members; telephone operatives, 638 members; station agents and employees, 521 members; and barbers, 501 members. The large increase in garment workers was a direct result of a special organizing campaign for purposes of securing increased rates of pay and improved working conditions; a campaign which resulted in the most important. strike of the year, that of garment workers described on page 6, engaged in the manufacture of men's clothing, and of the strike, beginning about three weeks later, of garment workers engaged in the manufacture of women's clothes which may be considered as a phase of the earlier and more extensive strike. In the case of the street and electrical railway employees and of telephone operatives the special organizing campaigns |