Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1888-03-02
Strike Statistics

According 10 Bradstreefs, the number Of
srlkss and lockouts In the United States dur
ing the calendar year 1887 was Ss4, against $50
In 1856, an increase OF 534, or $50 per cent.
The number Of employees involved In the strikes
OF 1887 was $40 S5A as compared with $4,000
In those Of 1886, a decrease OF l0i, l46, or %
per cent. The number OF strikes reported TO
Bradstrsefs last year was only about %one-quar-
ter the number reported TO the national lsbour
bureau at Washington, and the number re-
ported for 1856 was considerably below the
official total. Ii 10 To be said, however. that
the strikes noted by the labor bureau and not
BY BradStreers were comparatively unimport-
ant In respect TO numbers involved. For the
purpose Of comparison Brddstreet.s returns are
more valuable than those OF the bureau.
According to the former, 542 OF last years
strikes, or 63 per cent. Of all, involving 2ll $50
strikers, or 90 per cent. OF all, were for higher
wages or fewer hours work without reduction
OF wages. or the remainder, 225 strikes, or
20 per cent. involving TIPS employees, or %
per cent, arose out OF union demands other
than wages and hours There were 6S sym
pathetich strikes, strikes In support OF other
strikes, involving 40, go employees, or IL per
cent. OF all. The remaining 23 strikes, inyOlv-
f'Ak oAA' = 49, kNhAh ~ ~ W. WV t0AAs
miscellaneous causes not specified.
Thus far lockouts have been included In
strikes. To separate them, I'm lSS6 there
were reported 10 lockouts, affecting $1,000
ed, affecting. however, only Al, O24 hands.
In 1856 1 lockouts succeeded, compelling SO,
900 employees 10 come to terms, and 6 failed,
bringing success To 81 900 hands In 1887 III
lockOuts, involving 81, 1854 hands, were sue
cessfUh; 3, affecting $50 hands, failed, and
xra. NOT ap1aI . 3 tf. nInua - tho u.ur Ia
this connection 1t would he interesting and
useful to know how many strikes, with the
number affected, were In reality engineered
by employers. 1t is more than suspected that
monopol, ringstcrs, who want TO relieve them
selves from the od um OF exacting extortlon-
ate prices, aud monopoly common carriers,
who can not indulge in lockouts without fall
ing into the clutches Of the law, often find
means Of provoking strikes, and thus accom-
plish their purposes n such a way IA to bring
OdiuIn upon innocent men. Unfortunately,
stat sites DO not shed much light upon this
subject.
or the large successful strikes Of last wear,
the longest WAS that Of the Philsdel phia cloth.
ing-cutters, which lasted ~ days, aud involv-
ell 900 persons. The strikes OF the rubber
works hands at Preston, Rhode Island, aud OF
the cosl-miners al Springfield, Illinois, lasted
60 days each, and involved Loo
hands each. The largest number
involved In successful strikes were
800 carpenters I'm Chicago aud 1000 coal
miners in The Monongahela valley.
OF the unsuccessful strikes. two lasted 100
DAYS each-that Of the shoe hands Of Spen-
Ger, Massachusetts, (2.0OO), snd that OF the
shoe hand. Of Worchester county, Massachu-
sets go 0). A strike Of 1900 c~Dke-wOrkers
failed at Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, after 10
DAYS, as DID R strike OF $1,000 builders I'm
Chicago after 90 DAYS.
Strikes involving 34.s33 hands were still
In progress ~ the close OF the year. The most
important Of these were the strikes Of 25,OoJ
Lehigh yalleg coa'-m ners. which has already
lasted 10 DAYS al the end Of the year, and
that OF $500 shoe hands at Rochester. New
York, which had been in progress 80 days al
the end Of the year.
1t should he sad that these bare figures Do
not in all cases represent the exact state o.
facts. For instance, It Is not quite true thai
the 5000 Chicago strikers TN the building
trades were completely defeated, nor Is u
true that the strikes reported as succesfu
were completely So or that the success was
substantial or permanent. Tn figures simpl
supply a skeleton of fact which requires much
~ tie flesh and blood Of explanation L
make it a wing body of truth.-Chncag.
IfueS