In 1911, Thomas G. Moses wrote, “Sosman left for a California trip February 9th. Again I had to buckle down to the desk.” In addition to overseeing the artistic design, construction, and installation of all projects, he was now responsible for Sosman’s administrative duties. The previous year, Sosman left for fifteen weeks, only giving Moses a few days notice before his departure. 1911, was another busy year for the studio as the projects kept increasing in number and scope.
During this time, Moses was also negotiating with the union. He wrote, “The Pictorial Sign Painters got our Artists in line for their Union – all’s good if they get all our competitors.” Moses was speaking of the artists who belonged the Brotherhood of Painters, Decorators and Paper Hangers of America at the time. At this time, the Union label began to appear on many Sosman & Landis drops, as well as their competitors, such as the Twin City Scenic Company. The shops employed proud union members that had a label to prove it.
The Brotherhood of Painters and Decorators of America was organized formally in 1887. Within a year, the union boasted a membership of over 7,000 tradesmen and more than 100 local unions. In 1910 the Brotherhood of Painters, Decorators and Paper Hangers issued eighty-three charters and gained in membership 6,658; death benefits $86,249; death benefits members’ wives, $9,325; disability benefits, $10,975, donations to other unions $5,000 (The Indianapolis News, 28 Jan, 1911, page 14).
By 1911, there were 75,000 members in good standing and were the third largest organization of the A. F. of L. (The Barre Daily, 7 June 1911, page 1). Of the all the membership, two were women. On June 28, 1911, the “Indianapolis News” reported, “Champaign, Ill., June 28 – Miss Kathleen Durham, of Urbana, has been elected a member of Champaign local 363, Brotherhood of Painters, Decorators and Paper Hangers of America. She has the honor of being one of two women members of the union in the United States.” That same year, a Miss Madge Claiborne from Galveston, Texas, was also listed as the “only woman sign painter” (Washington Post, 22 July 1911). Women had played an active role in the profession for years, but had seldom recognized or recorded for their contributions.
In regard to the Union in 1911, National President George F. Hedrick explained, “during the past ten years the organization has increased its wages in 700 cities and has reduced its working hours from 10 and 11 hours per day to 8 hours, and that the organization was doing everything that it could to promote the labor movement in this country (The Barre Daily, 7 June 1911, page 1). The “Barre Daily” article continued, “In speaking of the trusts [Hedricks] said that he was not a man to be continually howling against the trusts. He said that he believed in the combination of capital just as much as he believed in the combinations of labor organizations ‘I believe an employer has his rights and that they ought to be respected, but when they bear down unjustly upon the rights of their employees it is time for the laboring men to act. If it had not been for the labor unions the working men of his country would be even worse off than they were years ago when working 10 and 11 hours a day. But now through the efforts of the unions the time has come that if you asked manufacturers to go back to 10 hours a day and no Saturday half holidays he would hold up his hands in holy horror at the very thought of doing it. Still when the movement was first advanced they said that they unions were ruining their business, but it has proven that the labor organizations are doing a great work towards bettering the conditions of humanity in this country.’”
That fall, an interesting article appeared in several newspapers. I am including the article in its entirety, as it provides additional context for Moses’ mention of union artists that year. Here is the article in its entirety:
“An Interesting Election.
Chicago, Nov. 27. – An election for general officers of the Brotherhood of Painters, Decorators and Paper Hangers of America will take place in December. It is attracting a great deal of attention among labor men in general, for more reasons than one. It is claimed by members prominent in the Painters’ union, that there last convention, which was held in Cincinnati, December, 1909, was largely dominated by the Madden gang of Chicago, as evidenced by the fact that his henchmen, John M. Finan, was elected first vice president. And further that Geo. F. Hedrick, who is now up for re-election as general president, was elected by the same influence.
“The Chicago local, of which John M. Finan is a member, local 147, is about as reactionary as they are to be found, and Finan is said to be representative of his local union. The progressive members of the Painters’ union are alive to the kind of men who have been representing (?) them officially for the past two years and are active in their efforts to defeat them.
“Charles Lammert of St. Louis, who is opposing Hedrick for the office of general president, is well and favorably known in labor circles, having been active in the St. Louis movement for many years, both in the federation of labor and the Painter’s union. He has the solid support of the progressive element of the painters and is in line with the advance movement of labor.
“The defeat of Finan for re-election as first vice president is almost conceded, he being opposed by one of the strongest men in the brotherhood of painters. Otto Damm of local 194, Chicago. This local union has the distinction of being the largest in the brotherhood with a membership of 2,000.
Among others whom the progressives are supporting to defeat the old machine, is listed: A. J. McKeon of Bridgeport, Conn., for second vice president; Wm. Rodriguez of Chicago for delegate to the American Federation of Labor convention 1912 and 1913, and Herman Jesse of Davenport, Ia., for delegate to the building reads department” (Black Hills Daily Register, 27 Nov., 1911, page 4).
To be continued…
