The Labor enquirer., 1882-12-30
Our Strike Laws.

From the Cigarmakers Jonrnal'
Whenever employers attempt 10 re'
duce wages, or some other grievance he-
cessitates resistance, an application is
sent to headquarters, designating the
difficulty as lockout. 1t seems adVan-
tage is taken of article ~, section z
which says, "the strike benefit snail
commence on the day when the appll-
cation is made" while section l of the
same article says, "the assistance shall
commence on the daNEhen the difficulty
is approved by the pfbper authorities"
These two sections clearly indicate diff
ference between strike and a lockout.
The prevailing opinion among union
men, especially among those whose ex-
perience in unionism is Of but few
wears standing, is that as soon as re-
duction is offered it must be resisted at
"a moments notice. They consider 1t a
crime against unionism to continue to
work another hour, and expect support
from the first day, insisting upon it that
their cause was just and must be ap-
proved; hence they call it a lockout
We shall endeayor to illustrate the dit
ference between a strike and a lockout
A strike can be inaugurated either by
the workmen or the employer. If the
workmen make a demand for an increase
of wages, or refuse to work with scab,
or oppose anyother established condi-
tions in force for months or probably for
wears, then the strike is on the side of
the workmen for a change of existing
relations between their employer and
themselves.
If the employer attempts to reduce
wages, introduces the truck system, ar
bitrary factory rules, or employs scabs
after he has consented for some time to
have strict union shop and pay the es-
tablished scale of prices, then the strike
is on the side of the manufacturer, who
intends to change prevailing conditions
and usages for his own benefit.
A lockout presupposes a combination
of manufacturers who have united
against the union of the workmen. EN-
ployers, as a rule, did not resort to lock-
outs before the trades unions became
numerous and powerful. Sometimes a
strike for increase of wages or a struggle
against reduction will develop into
lockout; for instance, reduction Of
wages takes place in one shop, the work
men resist and look for employment in
other shops, or if employment cannot be
obtained, expect assistance from the men
at work. The Employers associ alton,
in order to cut off this assistance from
other shops, resolve that all factories,
whether affected or not, shall close
simultaneously, The following occurred
but few weeks ago and is good illus
tratiOn:
The lasters employed in the shoe fac
tory Of Messrs. Cochrane, CassiIs & Co..
at Montreal, Canada, struck against two
non.union men, whereupon the Manu-
facturers' association held meeting and
adopted the following resolutions;
1--WE, the undersigned, manufacturers
of boots and shoes, in meeting assembled
fhave unanimously resolved that, unless
the lasters now out on strike from the
factory of Messrs. Cochrane, Cassils &
Co., for the alleged cause that two non
union men are there employed, shall re-
turn to their work on or before Saturday,
the twenty-ffth instant, all the lasters
in our factories will be discharged"
We do not know whether the shoe
manufacturers, of Montreal have exc
cuted this threat or not, but suppose
they did, then all the factories, where
no grievances existed, had to be closed
and the worSmen locked out by com
bination Of manufacturers. We believe
that the above illustration will be sufi
cient to indicate the dividing line be
tween strike and lockout.
We know that this article will Great
surprise, probably indignation, anon
those who are always On the jump, c
among those who cannot see ahead
, few. weeks or: months. To the forme
we say, keep cool, reflect before you &C
a hasty step is always repented.
takes years to reorganize a defeate
t army. To the latter we say, "Histol
E will repeats itself" unless you profit
past experience and adopt the. court
5 prescribed in the constitution which il