' Movements Among Carpenters For the Eight-Hour Day'
In early 1899, McGuire was optimistic that the depression of the 1880's seemed to be ebbing and that
carpenters were responding by organizing and unilaterally declaring the eight-hour day.
'Trade Movements' Among Carpenters
"The eight-hour day and a code of trade rules will be established this season in Jersey City, N.J.;
Trenton, N.J.; Seattle, Wash.; New Rochelle, N.Y.; Elizabeth, N.J.; Indianapolis, Ind.; Scranton, Pa.; Des
Moines, Iowa.; and Springfield, Ill.
"On January 27th, Union 264, Boulder, Colo., established the eight-hour day and union rules.
"The nine-hour day and union rules will be enforced this spring in Peckville, Pa.; Cleburne, Tex.;
Jackson, Tenn.; Moline, Ill.; and St. Joseph, Mo. In Torrington, Conn., and Cambridge, Ohio, the nine-
hour day was established recently.
"Union 146, Schenectady, N.Y., has adopted the rule not to work with non-union men.
More Members at Work
"For the first winter in over five years, since the industrial crisis has been fully under way, we can safely
report a larger percentage of the membership at work all over the country, though work in the larger
cities still keeps flat on account of the changes in building construction.
"The prospects for the coming spring are exceedingly bright, and numerous movements among
carpenters for the eight-hour day are reported to this office.
"Our net membership in good standing since last August to date has not varied one hundred in the
aggregate, where even in the best of times, during November, December, and January, we usually
suffered a loss of 10 to 15 percent in membership. This evidences that our membership is less
fluctuating and has become more stable and permanent.
"We now have over 400 unions and 31,600 members in good standing and benefit, and our cash
balance at the end of this month will be fully $2,000 more than it was last September during the
convention."
What Organization Will Do
"It will give each trade control of the market supply of their individual craft. It will give to each union
collectively and individually a more just proportion of its products. It will enforce a recognition of the
union's rights. It will finally lessen the hours of all trade unions to an eight-hour work day, and thus give
the skilled mechanics more chance to study the economic questions of the day and by so doing
become better citizens and more intelligent voters.
"By doing all this, it will make the laboring man a home owner and an interested factor in the affairs of
the nation. Through organization, labor can bring about all its aims and objects; without unity they will
all fail. These are all principle facts, as clear and plain to the reader as they are to us.
"Then is it not better to exert all your power to organize your fellow tradesmen into a union if they do
not have one already? Is it not best for you to do all in your power to make your union a strong one by
attending all the meetings and taking an interest in all questions brought up for consideration?" –
Journal of Industry