Telegram-herald. ([Grand Rapids, Mich.) 18??-1892, 1886-05-13
tlkhl On at ao4
AA1 afalgurens DESIRE . Return
o. fIe Hear Plan
alssEH iaY Us tIaaI s..A


1lI 70 l.e .1 lalIFF o rf.sfs ll.lr
.ee4s pa, Charles g. l4it eos afes. isnt
lal secretary el zee .1f4q pans states p. t.lela
la4l atlo41a b. b.-seil a4i oe-u -9aantd
18 LIS 11lze tlralsl l.lsss sJr iae past lea
DAYS sfiI te hal spent zach t.uls ia study
lag the la3or question sud 4iter u.alare de-
liberation dad plsaafsd an ala ess 60 ae
r-8I .o lne employees Mr Judd thea read
Jae f0il8a.lg la.lu-llieaGsa from Ar.
blaseil
Gentlemen -ol tue 3oth isf of April (
1sk-l F5l a. a personal - aF O. leave tAe
matter 0l 1ealag Ell tle present labor
Question los oar han1s for ts0 or Three
s4eks believing that ln suca ume events
No4li demonstrate whether L Uss besr for
sur mutaai Interests to eon1uef our business
su The eizlt 90 ten hour plan stating al The
sane time lbal after May Isl ~ should
give tlr eight a1lr plan ulAi believing
shat such course AS uglt and proper
owing 20 tle intense and universal agitation
the subject ha1 received We have n0W
run car factory GA the elsht-hOur
plan sufficiently long 20 enable
me 10 decide that &c viii be-
detrimental; alike % Us aud our employers
: to f4rther .outiaue 10. / would slate that
ln masking up my mind. 10 has only been
done alter mature and careful dell0erati0n,
sirNlug the situation both az home and
eises here / hnd that the ns0vement has rot
/ been universally adopted. which 3lll render
[ 30 iuuracticaDle as no manufacturers
operating on The eight-hour basis can expect
I 20 compete With Others working on ten
/ hour bass. As Tar as Sc can learn none OF
our competitors are working on the eight
I hour plan.
You have undoubtedly like ourselves
/ noted the action of metal manufacturers,
furniture manufactures aud Others, both
I east aud elsewhere. who ike ourselves hay-
ing tried the eight hour plan condemn II as
I being detrimental % both employers and
employees alike
/ Having made up ms mind As 20 what is
) best io 60 for oar mutual interest, and be-
7 ueving ir would be unjust 10 withhold ms
opinion. keeping You ln suspense. l desire
\ % announce that our factory Will hereafter
run on the ten-hOur plan, commencing
\ tomorrow morning. desire ID thank The
7 emplOYe, TOR their uniform good behavior
during tne past eight or ten days, and will
[ state that Wtlle for the last week services
\ We could NOT allow consistently more than
Y pro rata compensation based on the ten
\ hours rate SEES for tine present week work.
/ a. a token of my apprs cation Of good be
I havior I propose that all those who work
I iuIl time TINS week shall be paid ON next
\ pay daV for fall week Of ten hours daily
/ labor. notwithstanding the tact that they
/ have worked Monday, Yesterday and today
ou rhe eight hour plan
y Nv that Sc have decided on our future
/ plans. 1 would state that while hope that
Z sc shall retain the services Of all who are
/ in our employ. SEES 10 there are any persons
among you who con-cienuously believe
+ that The eight hour plan is the only proper
one. and. f such csn secure a position eise-
/ where and they deem ir 90 their interest TO
I 90 SD. / shall be- glad % give 20 any such
+ letter &c mmendafi0n. Doth as 10 ability
+ and laithlIlness ia the particular line In
which they have been engaged. While We
T should regret t0 lose any one of our corps
OF workers We would not undertake 10
I dictate 90 You that YOU should work ten
i hours when yol only care t0 work eight
As % the question Of comp ensatiOn / can
only -eiterate what said April so viz. TO
7 deal justly with all t0 treat with every
[ employee Individually and 90 accord 10 such
I the compensation for their services 20 which
+ in our Judgment they are entitled, basing
T rhis on merit and ftithfuiness % duty As We
+ see if as we'll as current wages FOX similar
services. Our past record in treating the
wage question Is guarantee that our future
Z policy viii be- satisfactory
VI. K. Bls,EIr. President.
The w0rkmen received the intelligence
quietly Ii is understood that the men
have determined 90 90 % work as usual this
morning and Viii hold a consultation at
noon f0 determine whether they viii quit
at 8 o'clock OF work until g.
40 che same hour, when the employees as
semb,ed fro the shipping room 90 receive
tneir pay, George W Cav, treasurer Of the
company addressed them RE said.
While thr company has not decided 20
return CAB the ren-bour system Uf labor at
the same time We consider it our duty 70
uflrm you bow axe az impressed with the
t+u-bolr system. SD wish 90 talk with you
Cor moment We Go not think that the
time has come for the adoption Of
+ tbe eiEhi-hour system of labor and. since its
successful adoption should 0e accompanied
with as wucl wages as have been paid for
ten hours work when that cannot be done
7 ,rsinx men are doing themselves and
+ their families an injustice Ira attempting to
T force IFS adoption. The condition Of The
country IS such now that it does NOS Justify
I 8u advance in wages with reduction OF
working hours.
"N0w would ike 20 say word about
T labor organ cations and shat is this. In my
Z opinion Toe 0rgtnizarion and rsorgani zafiun
of trades uni0us such "a the Knights Of
Labor The labor unions the flf; ifure
workers associations and the individual
factory guilds. which have in view The
iatfaf If the wishes If ern ploves. constantly
tend to dis0ganfFe the present work
'nZ force. 20 obsfruCt business
ans hampsr heaifhf1i progress and growth.
\ Instead ni fl $50 would suggest that an
orsaniEaton Re perfected to carry ouf the
wishes IF tbe companies AMI thereby make
fbs business A success ani tbu- advance
+ your wages mean. as YOU see that 10
wouid BE- Better far o0sh parties concerned.
f fae labor element would NOS continually
resi- 60 sni oppose The employer wishes FIR
T ID r..