The workingman's advocate. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1864-1877, 1869-02-27
FROM NEW YORK.
NV YoRK, Feb. 9, 1865

NEw YoRK, Feb. 9, 1862
To the Rditor Of the wosrmeAAH's ADVOCATE.
The past week or two have been fraught
with interest to typographical Union No.
6, Of this city the book and job printers
having been on a strike, but as write,
nearly all the employers who at first held
out against the demand, have acceeded.
The men are entirely indebted for their sue
cess to their own determination in standing
by the Union.
As the matter may be Of interest to at
east portion Of your readers, | shall en-
deavor to present in brief the cause OF the
difficulty" 10 the Summer Of 1864, the
book and job printers endesvored to adj
vance their wages some few establish
ments acceeded, but in short time the
houses paying the scale formed the excep-
ton, so that the object of the wOrkmeu was
defeated. Employers then fixed the wages
at SIS for weekly hands on book work, and
$50 on job work The men we're compelled
TO accept those terms, intending to await
more favorable time, a. they certainly bad
selected the very dullest Of seasons for the
advancement of their scale; but the news
paper trouble springiog up few weeks sub
sequently, and the workmen in the latter
branch being beaten also, the question was
not renewed until recestly.
The men representing the different branch
es Of the trade newspaper, book and JOB
work, } waited patiently and worked vigor-
ously in the Union until they bad enrolled
nearly every journeyman printer in the city
on its roll Of members A society was also
formed OF women engaged ia the business
and though the membership Of the Ia tier Is
not very large as yet, IL is confidently be-
leved from the material Of which it is com
posed, that it will prove a valuable auxilia-
~ to its more vigorous parent, No. g. The
zeal it's members have displayed during the
strike, is worthy Of emulation BY the typos
Of the sterner sex. They have been untir-
ing in their exertions in inducing women 70
cave Offices on a strike, and revent others
going in.
/ The movement TO revive the scale of prices
was brought up nearly one year since, the
Union in co nmittee Of the whole passing
I upon scale, and appointing q special com
I mittee to wait upoD She employers for their
concurrence. Meetings we're held between
4 both parties at various times, the best OF
/ feeling prevailing, and the objections OF the
I employers we're 80 slight that it was Thought
; the matter could be sdj listed with out resort
Y ing TO strike. The fact thai the Union act
I ed upon the scale, and appointed rbe confer
epce committee as far back a. May last, and
V listened patiently meeting after meeting 70
+ the reports Of their conn Ittee, who gave The
members 70 understand that as the best OF
| feeling had been exhibited by the employ ers'
committee during their conference, no dogbI
existed as 10 a satisfactory agreement being
arrived at, disproves the assertion made Al
the employers meeting during the strike
that the Union had met them like highway
men, without a moments notice and made
the demand.
Finally, after frittering away the best
part of year, the Union committee were
told by the employers that further consuits-
tion was unnecessary, as they had decided
not TO accept the scale. The matter we
then referred back 20 the Union, and 10
committee of the whole was very eighty
amended, making a sliding scale for loaded
and solid matter, and insisting that both
book and job hands employed BY the week,
should receive uniform rates, $40 per week.
This was deemed necessary, as the Union
Was continuously engaged in settling dis
putes between the employer and the work.
man, work being sent out of the job depart
ment into the book room. where there was
1 ~ din renee IN the rate Of wages paid.
The Union appointed committee 90 70.
ply TO gross falsehoods charged BY the em
! ploy ers, and the correspondence which had
passed between the Committees of 10th par
ties was published, which must have made
some of the loose tongued employers feel
rather small, provided they have any shame
in them, as the correspondents showed thai
il was the heartfelt wish OF tie Union to
avoid strike, and that The whole cause Of
it rested ON the employers themselves.
When the increased prices were asked foI
business generally was very good the en-
ployers az first refused, but finding th,
workmen determined on their point gradual
AZ hOCOOACNI 0hu tO-uhy bnoTo are Dut ANU
four Offices OF any Consequence which hold
out, namely John r. Trow a Co.'S, AL
words, Wynkoop Hallenbeck's; and there
10 no doubt that twO of those esta Adjustments
will fall into line before another week rolls
By.
The result Of the strike, proves the wis
dom of the amnesty authorised by the Ma
tional Typographical Union st It's last ses-
sion, at least so far az this city il concern
ed, for % Of the large number 20 avail
ed themselves Of lie benefits in No. s, scarce
| ly any proved recreant. In fact, l have
heard Of but one. When the strike was or
dered, or rather when the date Of present
ing the new scale was fixed upon By the
Union, IN assessment OF &5 was levied on
each member, and the promptness with
which they have responded has proved sbs
thorough discipline that has been establish.
cd in the Union.
You no doubt read the cards and state
meDts from employers and their tools in
some Of the daily papers, esdeavOring u
show the public that the printsrs' STRIFE i.
failure. YoG can put this down a. ell bosh
The Union 10 90 well satisfied with the posi-
tion that IL deems it unnecessary to reply
to them, preferriDg rather that they should