The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1868-11-24
LABOR MOVEMENTS.


Tho CHAR Makers' Strike.
ne war between the cigar manufacturers and the
their employees has fairy commenced, ana on Fri
day next the forces win be marshalied for the batle
strike The operative cigar makers are using every
means TO meet and defeat the bosses The Executive
COMMITTEES Of the operatives organizations Ia IN CON-
munication with the Unions throughout the State
and Canada The replies they have received lead
them TO hope that II necessary they send every
Union man in the city to other cities where employ
ment shall have been secured for them beforehand.
They also hope TO be able to set cooperative shops at
work on next Friday, whether the members OF the
cigar manufacturers carry out their threat or not.
on the other hand the manufacturers are not less
busy than their employees. aud nave adopted the fol-
lowing address,
tnting the Cigar Manufacturers Association OF New
YORK, Deg leave 10 "a our attention TO the 10 low
MY tne enforcement OF the present internal
VINO had been In the habit ol taking tobacco from
tie shops to their homes TO work into cigars were
compelled TO seek employment In factories. BY per-
suason and threats were induced to JOIN
the Cigar Makers Union, and thus for the first time
since cigars were made The great majority OF the
cigar makers OF New ! 0rk and vicinity were banded
together into one society. 1t was not TO be expected
that 1000 men thus come ted by unity OF interests
and some OF them having leen previously IN some
instances Oppressed by unIrncipied employers,
should be moderate in their amands upon the
bosses. Confident OF their strength, they elected
from among their numbers IN nearl every factory.
president and gradually employers became. In their
opinion, merely their az ;nts sell their labor for
Che highest price possibly to be obIa ned, gardes5
oil the interests OF the ealpo ers strikes for higher
wages now became the order ul the day. One manu-
iacturer after another was cited before the Execu-
1--WE committee Oh the tlIarmakers' Union TO shDw
cause " ny he should not pay uore, and condemned
70 ray what the men dem n led, whether he did or
dld not attend the summons. Men struck because
they pretended TO dislike the foreman OF factory,
aud when tod that this no reason for n strike
they demanded an increase Of wages for no other
reason than because they were up from their benches.
Employers were tod In the morning that the men
must have two dollars more per thousand. and
when they answered that they would consider upon
II they were insoleuty bid to make up their minds
by one O'Clock or the demand would be increased an
additional dollar per thousand. Factories were
closed and opened ut the Will OF their committees
and advertised IN the daily papers. Wages were
finally oy these means advanced 10 fully three times
what they had been ten years ago; still the men
were not satisfied and ella moled for more. From oe
and one-haIf to two cents piece was not deemed
SUFFICIENT for making cigars, aud manufacturers,
feeling that further to yield TO the de-
mand5 OF men who seemed to know no bounds
would end in general ruin, formed association to
protect themselves. They begged TO DO put on equal
terms with their employees, aud that their voice be
heard before the Union should authorize any further
demands for increased wages on the part OF the
Workmen. The Manufacturcrs' Association proposed
that committee OF arbitration, appointed In equal
numbers by both socie les should reaffer endeavor
10 settle all dliieences before further yoent
ures be resofted to by the men. Their proposition
Was ridiculed, voled down in full meeting and
they were told that they were NOT to be
trusted by the men who earned the daily bread
Tor themselves and families In the employ
OF the very men whom they thus insultcd. Still
thinking shat an Sstan0ing ought to be had be.
tween the two associations the manufacturers then
offered an advance, even over the present enormous
rates OF labor. on condition that there should be
further demand made FOR six months The first
answer thereto was the advertisement In the daily
papers that the shop OF one or the members Of the
Cigar Manufactnrers' Association was closed under
strike Tor still higher advance; and only when
some OF our members showed determination not TO
put up any longer with such arbitrary ana unjust
proceedings ana threatened TO discharge ell Union
hands IN their employ-and AFTER six days had
elapsed since our last overtures were made,
and after negotlating for whole month did
answer that they would favOrabiy report upon our
proposition TO their uni0a on condition that we
should first agree to employ none but union
hands In our factories Feeling that thus to put
ourselves completely at the mercy OF body OF men
VINO mad conspired 10 every manner to humiliate US,
ana lurther, 70 DO business under these circum-
stances would only make us nc subjects Of commits
Grafton by al who had any respect for u.s. finally
resolved to discharge aud did discharge all the Cigar
Makers Union presidents AMI nen employed by us.
IN doing so, however, we deny most emphatically
that we are making war upon trades unions
IN general, AZ has been falsely represented; on the
contrary. We believe that much benefit might be de-
rived from them II governed with wisdom and mode
our proposal to adjust all dInerences between en-
pioyers and employees by arbitration, their union
powerful. We believe that by hearty cooperation
the part Of oil the cigar manufacturers through
out This country, the cigar makers unions. aud the
Union OF New York especially, can be made TO un-
derstand that their leaders are misguidlng them.
Even now, after lapse Of only two days. q large
number IL cigar makers have already lett their unlon
dsgusted with the violence their leaders, and have
gone to work. We appeal 10 you now TO support
and cooperate with us, and not 10 allow your pres
n you do not act with us now, your business may be
controlled by q body OF men over whom. for the
time being, reason and moderation have lost their
sway. and who fail to conceive that their own inter-
est and welfare are Identical with and inseparable
from ours. We ask OF you not to increase the
number OF your workmen o. present. but TO com.
municate with Us and join is in organizing In op-
position to any ust demands on the part OF cigar
mIkers' unions now or hereafter. All communica-
lions will be received as cou ldentia II so desired.
aft TIE EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE.
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