VOL. XIV No. 8 PUBLISHED MONTHLY BY THE NATIONAL FOUNDERS' ASSOCIATION AND THE REVIEW, which is published by The National Founders' Association and the National Metal Trades Association, desires to have all foundry and machine shop employees fully acquainted with the policies and purposes of the two Associations. Employees of members of the Associations who wish to receive the magazine regularly are invited to send their names and addresses to THE REVIEW Room 842, 29 South La Salle St. CHICAGO with the understanding that they incur no expense or obligation. New applicants should state the name of employer and whether they are employed in foundry or machine shop. "The closed shop is inconsistent with the fundamental principles of humanity and our system of government. If the closed shop shall be established, no man can earn wages without a union license, and the union is under no necessity to grant the license." CHICAGO AUGUST, 1917 Has Union Labor Kept Faith? Epidemic of Strikes in Shops Engaged on Government Work Indicates that Mr. Gompers' Pledge of Loyalty Has Not Been Kept The Council of National Defense in April issued a statement with the following recommendation: "(1) That the Council of National Defense should issue a statement to employers and employees in our industrial plants and transportation systems advising that neither employers nor employees shall endeavor to take advantage of the country's necessities to change existing standards." This statement was signed by Mr. Samuel Gompers, President of the American Federation of Labor, a member of the Advisory Commission of the Council and Chairman of the Committee on Labor. Immediately upon the issuance of the statement, the press generally throughout the country announced that organized labor had pledged its full and unqualified support to the government in its preparation for war. "Labor Puts Ban on All Strikes," said the Chicago Herald; "Organized Labor has pledged its full and unqualified support to the Government for the duration of the war," was the statement of The New York Times; "By an agreement reached at a special meeting of the Council of National Defense and its Advisory Commission, Samuel Gompers, in effect," declared the New York World, "pledges American organized labor 'to a full and loyal support of the government in its war with Germany. Under this agreement it is believed that the United States will be spared in the national crisis the strikes and lockouts which have been most embarrassing and even menacing in Great Britain and other belligerent countries for two and a half |