St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1886-10-17
THE COOPERS, STRIKE.

Statement of the Engagements Be
tween the JOurneymen and Coop
eratIVe COOpers.
The Minneapolis cOopers are engaged in
a strike this week, the first that has oc-
CURED in about two years. For some
weeks the working cOOperS have been dis
satisfied with the wages they were TeceIv-
Ing. and take this means to advance them
Up to Sept. I. when an agreement between
the shops terminated, there was a pretenSe
made to keep the price of making barrels
in most of the shops at 15c, but at that
time the price Of barrels began to be cut.
and it was not long before wages were re-
duced to a range of - to 14c on hand work.
There were mere paying the former figures
than the latter. Being unable to earn fair
wages, the men chafed under the burden.
and were finally gOaded into strike by the
belief that they had everything to gain and
nothing to lose. For year past the Jour
neymen and cO-OperaUiveS have distrusted
one another, and each desired the other. in
the prevalence of low wages, to make a
stand for their rights. Under the circum-
stances neither acted. The present move
ment has been under contemplation
for some time. JOurneymen state
that at Monday nights meeting of the Coop
er's assembly, prominent cooperative men
gave assurance Ofatheir support if the jour
neymen would take the initiative, and the
next day the strike was inaugurated The
men in the Aud shop. about forty in num-
Der. went out first, and at the Kennedy
shop were reinforced by eighteen more
They then proceeded to the works of the
Hardwood Storage company and were
Joined by the 135 men Of that establish
ment. a visit was then made to all the
other shops, mostly cooperative, and by
noon there was probably not cooper at
work in the city. The cooperative men
say they did not join in the strike, only
stopping their work temporarily to cOncili-
ate iOuTneymen. a meeting of shop man.
ayers was held Wednesday afternoon at the
office Of the Hardwood Storage company, to
canvass the situation. 1t was admitted
from the start that 10 cents could not be
paid the cOOpeTS if barrels remained as low
as lately sold for. and a general discussion
took place as to the feasibility of a pool for
the sale of barrels. Most of the shops as
represented seemed to favor something of
the kind, arranged on an equitable basis.
The representatives of two large co-opera-
tive shops thought at first that there was
not much chance Of their companies being
willing to 60 into an affair of this sort. but
after further discussion of the subject. they
seemed to regard the matter more favorably.
1t was deemed meXpedient to advance the
price of barrels to 80 cents which it
would be necessary to do to paw
the men IS cents for making
r hiTty-siX to 81 cents seemed to be more
generally favored, and to pay off at IA
cents or possibly 10 cents. 1t was thought
that the cOOperS would be satisfied with
the latter price if assured of reasonably
steady employment. The meeting adj
joufned until Thursday afternoon it being
desired to hear from the working coopers
who were to meet in the morning the same
day. The cooperative men went away
with the understanding that they should
start their shops Thursday noon. but with
nothing definite settled as to what wages
would be paid. Several of the co-opera-
tive shops have contracts with mills and
feel i'll duty bound to supply barrels in
such cases as needed; if they run to do
this it is apt to discourage the journeymen.
The strike has been carried into effect
without the approval or cognizance of the
Knights of Labor, of which organization
the CoOperS' assembly is a branch. the men
taking the responsibility of the move on
their own shoulders. Mill owners, as
rule, express sympathy for the coopers, and
concede the justice of their asking for bet
ter pay, but charge the coopers themselves
with being responsible for the present de-
moralized condition Of their business.
The supply of stored barrels in the city is
light, there probably being not over 20, 600,