‘Hotel, Restaurant and Domestic Workers Industrial Union No. 1100, Bulletin No. 3’ from One Big Union Monthly. Vol. 1 No. 6. August, 1919.

Chicago, Ill., July 12. Fellow Workers:—

H.R. & D.W.I.U. No. 1100 is making a thoro attempt to organize the workers in the industry with the immediate view of shortening hours and increasing wages, and with the remote idea of being able to operate the hotels and restaurants. We are including in our program the management of the industry like the other industrial unions so that we can be able to feed the working class when the great hour arrives.

We are depending upon the co-operation with other industrial unions in our efforts to organize this oft neglected branch of workers, and what are you doing to help us, Fellow Workers in 400, 573, 500, 800, etc. We are making a special effort to organize the women workers, and remember Joe Hill’s song, ‘“‘The Rebel Girl.”

JOB NEWS

Rockford, Ill.—During the last week the capitalist press made a big noise that the Wobblies had invaded the biggest hotel in Rockford. Some of our delegates have been active around this place and got the workers to demand better conditions and more wages. With the protection of the police and the scab organization A. F. of L., our members did not have success this time, but they are coming back. Watch for Rockford!

Duluth, Minn.—The Duluth district has always been a stronghold for No. 1100, especially among the Finnish domestic workers. Their union is growing fast, and the No. 1100 workers in the nearby towns are lining up solidly into the One Big Union of the I.W.W. We have job control in several restaurants and with a little more energy we will get them all in line.

The great success of No. 1100 in this district has made it necessary to put a paid secretary on the job, to handle all the business for the branches in this district. Seattle, Wash.—An application for a branch charter of No. 1100 received last week. We all know the splendid work the Fellow Workers in Seattle have been doing in the past, and No. 1100 will surely get a good foot hold in the “crazy Ole’s” town.

Tacoma, Wash.—The Fellow Workers in Tacoma are very active in getting out No. 1100 leaflets and literature. In the near future we’ll have a branch there and at this place we just need a few active delegates to get things started.

Denver, Colo.—In Denver, as in all other cities, the cards in the windows show the need the master feels for help. In Denver the conditions are unusually bad. All men work from 10 to any unknown number of hours. Women supposed to work eight hour in accordance to the eight-hour law, are compelled to put in about one hour extra on the time-worn excuse of “getting ready”— which, as everyone knows, is not work—oh, no! In view of these facts Denver is ready to receive any means of bettering conditions. Wages $8 to $20.

There are four or five LIVE DELEGATES there, but we need more. The hotel industry is all there is in Denver except the packing house, and the workers are ready. All members should take out credentials. Address headquarters or Robert Danley, 2961 Curtis St., Denver, Colo., for further information.

The coal camps of Colorado show excellent spirit —but the ground is all new and unbroken. All No. 800, No. 400, and No. 600 delegates in the field should pave the way for this important industrial organization. No. 1100 offers the first opportunity to miners’ wives and daughters to organize in the industrial army with their husbands, fathers, and brothers. ‘In union there is strength.” Some of these women are tried fighters, too.

In organizing this industry, the first idea should be a firm, solid foundation, so our organization will be able to weather the approaching storm. REMEMBER, WE ARE TO FEED THE WORKERS.

We are considering the question of sending an organizer east. This part of the country is all split up in all kinds of organizations, all claiming to be the only and right kind of unions. In New York the Hotel and Restaurant Workers are deceived into believing that the International Federation of Workers in the hotel, restaurant, club and catering industry is a real industrial union. But the workers know that only a union with revolutionary ideals, like the One Big Union of I.W.W., can abolish wage slavery and establish an industrial commonwealth of the world’s workers. What we need is educational propaganda, and we ask all the Fellow Workers in the east to write for leaflets and literature.

50,000 new leaflets just off the press. Send in your order today. The price is $3 a thousand. Also order some of the NOW! NOW! cards. The price is $3 a thousand.

Don’t forget your ballot. Be sure to get it in by July 20th. It is very important to vote.

Send in your contributions to all of the papers. Let the other branches know what you are doing. Also send in some contributions and suggestions for the Bulletin.

All the delegates and branch secretaries must send in their reports at least once a month. Don’t neglect that and be sure to fill out the reports correctly.

The signs everywhere are that the work done by the boys in jail has not been done in vain. Re- member them the way they like best to be remembered—by ORGANIZING.

But we also need money for the relief and defense work. $10,000 (ten thousand) is needed within the next few weeks to appeal the Chicago case and for preparing the Sacramento and Wichita cases. What are you going to do? Are you going to let our members rot in the jails? Send in your contributions NOW. Get a relief or organization stamp in your book. All the secretaries and delegates should see to it that every member gets his stamp.

With best wishes, I remain,

Yours for the One Big Union, ERNST HOLMEN, Sec’y-Treas. Pro Tem. H.R. & D.W.I.U. No. 1100

One Big Union Monthly was a magazine published in Chicago by the General Executive Board of the Industrial Workers of the World from 1919 until 1938, with a break from February, 1921 until September, 1926 when Industrial Pioneer was produced. OBU was a large format, magazine publication with heavy use of images, cartoons and photos. OBU carried news, analysis, poetry, and art as well as I.W.W. local and national reports.

Link to PDF of full issue: https://archive.org/download/sim_one-big-union-monthly_1919-08_1_6/sim_one-big-union-monthly_1919-08_1_6.pdf