the Brotherhood of Interborough Rapid Transit Employees and to sign an obligation the last paragraph of which reads as follows:
"In conformity with the policy adopted by the Brotherhood and consented to by the Company, and as a condition of employment, I expressly agree that I will remain a member of the Brotherhood during the time I am employed by the Company and am eligible to membership therein; that Iam not and will not become identified in any manner with the Amalgamated Association of Street and Electric Railway Employees of America, or with any other association of street railway or other employees, with the exception of this Brotherhood, and the Voluntary Relief Department of the Company while a member of the Brotherhood or in the employ of the Company—and that a violation of this agreement or the interference with any member of the Brotherhood in the discharge of his duties or disturbing him in any manner for the purpose of breaking up or interfering with the Brotherhood, shall of itself constitute cause for dismissal from the employ of the Company."
Another instance will illustrate the practice. The Pacific Coast Coal Company, shortly after severing relations with the United Mine Workers of America, organized its own "Bargaining Council." In the constitution of this council we find it expressly provided that:
"membership in, or activity on behalf of, the United Mine Workers of America, or membership in, or activity for any other mine-labor organization will be a bar to employment."
and hence to an "enjoyment" of the "democratic opportunities" opened up by the company's Bargaining Council.
It is well known that the "yellow dog" contract is common thruout the bituminous mining fields and the metal industry, but most of the corporations forcing this form of slavery on their workers are of the super hard-boiled type not usually inclined to employ the hypocrisies of "employee representation" to gild the individual contract.
Those companies which combine industrial democracy with the "yellow dog" contract enforce an actual "closed shop" in favor of the company
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