St. Paul daily globe., 1888-05-30
THE LABOR TROUBLES.
Trustees in Their Report Discuss
the Recent Strikes.

Trustees in Their Report Discuss
the Recent Strikes.
"By reason of an entirely unexpected
change of policy inaugurated by the
leaders of our workmen's unions, both
national and local, the brewers of many
cities experienced great difficulty in
dealing with their employees and sus-
tained severe losses ou account of un-
justi1iable interferences on the part
of brewery workmen's unionS,"
the trustees say. Those who
favored negotiations with unions
and even helped to strengthen the
latter. did not dream that these unions
would be used against the will and in
cllnatiOn of majority of the members
for the perpetration of unlawful actions,
for the propagation of anarchical ideas
for the complete enslavement of en-
ployer and emplOye. The attempt to
dictate to Milwaukee brewers where
they should Os should not buy their ma
terial was but the beginning of pre-
concerted plan by which it was intended
to so hamper and harass the employers
as to make it impossible for them to
conduct business in the usual legiti-
mate way. The refusal of the Milwau-
kee brewers to submit to so despotic
demand was followed first by Strike,
and next by a boycott, both insti-
gated and supported by the brewery
workmen's national and local unions,
in spite of the fact that the employers
cOnscientiously observed the stipula-
tiOns of the contracts with their en-
ployes. AS in the Ehret boycott so
here, too, the attitude of the employees
demonstrated the utter uselessness of
negotiating and entering into contracts
with unions who, at the will or whim of
their leaders. openly violate any and
all agreements made with them without
the slightest cause or provocation.
1t also demonstrated the necessity of
GOING A STEP FURTHER
than was contemplated by the trainers
Of the st. Louis resolution of nOn-inter-
ference, obligating the signers thereof
to abstain from furnishing beer to the
customers of brewers whose business
suffered under the influence OF unlaW-
ful actions.
Not until their own men ostentatiouSly
took an active part in the boycott upon
their own product, did the employing
brewers of Milwaukee declare that they
would no longer recognize the work
mems local and national union. They
were fully conscious of the consequences
of such declaration, and at once ap-
peal to your trustees for the strictest en-
forcement of the policy of non-inter-
ference. Before this had occurred,
however, many brewers throughout
the land called for a national meet
ing of representative men, in order
to discuss the situation and devise
means of mutual protection. A meet
ing was held in the city of New York in
the month of December, which the most
prominent men of our trade throughout
the land attended, either as delegates of
local associations, or as representatives
of localities. Every local association
and nearly all of the more important
cities were represented. The unani-
nous opinion OF those present was that
the action of the Milwaukee brew
ers, In refusing to submit to
the demand in question, should be
approved, as it was really the only
course they could have adopted in the
where, the unions of wOrkmen were
being controlled by irresponsible per-
sons, many Of whom are not yet citizens
of this country, while nearly all of them
advocate anarchism; by persons who
live by the strife which they succeed in
stirring up, and who, by terrorizing and
intimidating their followers, compel
obedience to any dictate they may
prOmulgate.
In the meantime the ostentatious en-
fOrcement of the boycott of the Journey
men brewers of Milwaukee had taken
place and circular was issued Feb. l,
1888, enJOining on members of this as
soclation stricteSt compliance with the
policy of nOn-interference. While
resolution refusing to renew contracts
had been signed by the greater portion
of the local associations, by a majority
of individual members of this organiZa
ton and by many outside brewers, an
other conference of delegates was held
at New York, March 26, 1888, at which
an address to the public was formulated
and spread broad cast. Thus far the
RESULT OF THE LABOR RESOLUTION
has been entirely favorable. The work
men have in every instance been assured
that, if they choose to remain in their
places, they would receive the same
wages as before and would be treated in
every way in accordance with their own
demands, as stipulated in previous con-
tracts. The declaration that no agree
ments would be made with unions, did not
and does not prevent the workmen from
entering into agreements with their
employers individually, nor does it en-
join upon them severance of their con-
nection with their unions. If, in spite
of all this, they elect to insist upon the
renewal of union contracts, they must
evidently be misled by motives other
than a regard for their own and their
families welfare, seeing that a union
contract will secure to them, individ-
ually, no advantages which they
do not possess now. In many
cities the workmen have followed the
example of their fellow craftsmen in
st. Louis, who, without insisting upon
a renewal of their. union contract, re-
manned in their places and appear to be
satisfied with the present arrangement.
In New York, Brooklyn, Chicago, New
ark, Jersey City, Buffalo and Albany
the workmen pursued a different
course. In the two former
cities the publication of the resolu-
ton was followed by the imposition
of boycotts upon eight of the signing
brewers in New York, Brooklyn and
Newark. From the attitude of the brew
ers of New York, Brooklyn, Boston, Mil
waukee, Chicago, Cincinnati, st. Louis,
San Francisco and other cities, it is to
Continued on Second Page.