Los Angeles herald., 1890-03-28
The Unions Tell Why They
Stopped Their Work.
Information that is Being Circulated
Among Working Men.
1t is Said that the Strikers Will Hold Out
With a Determination to Win in
the End-A Strong Circular.

ilUH ol tue sIrike are DelnS IOrNdru0u
to the workingmen all over the State,
and yesterday the following, purporting
to be "a True Statement of the Real
Cause of the Present Iron Molders'
Strike, and Why 1t Is Continued, /" signed
by Jno. +. Valentine, president of Iron
Molders' Union No. 164, was received in
the city,
On the 18th of December, 1899. the
Engineers and Iron Founders Associa-
ton, of San Francisco, sent communi-
cation to the Iron Molders' Union, stat
ing that on and after January l, 1890, a
certain mutual agreement, making ten
hours days work, and $3.50 the mini
mum rate OF pay-entered into by said
association and the Iron Molders' Union
on August 80, 1SS7-would no longer be
observed by them. This was the signal
for trouble between the proprietors and
our union. We felt that the manufac-
turers were determined to take advan-
tage of the dull times to break up our
society; and we resolved to stand firm
by our union and it's rules, namely
$3.50 per day (ten hours); time and one
half for over time; double time for Sun
days and holidays; not to work with
non-union men; and one apprentice to
every shop, with one to every eight men
employed thereafter.
Since January l, $780, a conference
was held between our executive commit
tee and the manufacturers. The firms
claimed they had lost money during the
past year, owing to Eastern competition
and our stringent union rules. We
stated that we had suffered also, as very
few OF our men had been employed more
than half the time, and even then had
to share their earnings with others who
were less fortunate; and that we had
also spent large sums in taking care of
our sick and disabled members. whose
number had been greatly increased
through the late epidemic and bad
weather. They required us to accept a
reduction OF 30 cents per day in wages,
to allow an increase in the number of
apprentices, and to make other impor-
tant concessions. On this basis they
proposed to enter into an agreement
with us for one year.
1t will be seen that at the end of this
period we would be caught in the midst
OF another dull season, when the firms
would surely demand another reduction
consequently we declined to accept their
proposition and on February 21, 1890,
they gave us peremptory notice that on
March 10th they would refuse to obey or
respect our most important regulations.
They declared that on said date they
would not recognize our right to refuse
to work with non-union men, or to have
any minimum rate OF pay, or to limit the
number Of apprentices. In the mean
time our president and two members
were discharged-the only reason given
was that they limited their days work,
at the dictation of the union. We posi-
lively declare that, with one solitary ex-
ception-made at the request of manu-
facturer-the union never has limited
the amount of work to be done by its
members, and we have no intention of
doing so in future.
Seeing that conflict was inevitable,
we determined not to wait till the 10th
OF March, and we struck work in the
shops OF the Manufacturers Association
ON the morning of March Sd, 1890.
Since the strike began the manufacture
ers have openly declared in the daily
newspapers that they would not recog-
nize our union or make any settlement
with us; that nothing short of our COM
plete destruction as union would sat
lsfy them; that they would hire whom
they chose in future, and at what wages
they pleased to give; that if the old
hands desired to work in their shops,
they would have to apply as individuals
not having any connection with the
union; that they would flood the CITY
with non-union molders from the East,
and in little while the union men here
would be forced to leave the State or
starve in the streets of San Francisco.
In support of this threat forty-two
molders from Philadelphia arrived here
on the 18th inst, and others are ex-
pected to arrive daily.
Shall this bold threat OF the manu-
facturers be successfully carried out =?
Ii so the right of men in any trade to
combine for protection and natural re-
lief, and to make their society effective,
is at an end. We hold that for the gen
eral good, any society of men in America,
no matter how powerful in wealth
they may be, who will deliberately make
such threat against a law-abiding asso-
citation of their fellow-citizens, ought to
be crushed out of existence. These
manufacturers have, day by day, vilifed
and misrepresented us to the public
through the daily press, because we vol
unfairly left their shops in defense of
our principles, one week prior to the day
on which they had determined either to
kick us out or compel us to surrender
every fundamental rule of our union.
They have accused us of committing
acts OF violence, and have induced the
Chief of Police to send large forces of
regular and special officers to guard them
and their imported hireling slaves from
acts of violence that they well know
from our past history would not be toll
Grated, much less perpetrated by u.s. all
to poison the minds of the public and
thereby hurt our cause. We feel sure
that in time the people will see and
condemn those guilty of such ruffianly
conduct.
They say they cannot afford to pay us
$3.50 per day, but it seems they can
afford to bring hundreds OF poor creatures
out from their homes in the East, at a
great cost, in hopes that their destitute
and friendless condition, when here, will
cause them to take our places, and force
wages down to Eastern rates, while our
food, house rent and fuel remain as high
as ever.
They are encouraging large numbers
OF people to come here at time when
thousands OF old Californians are desti-
tute, and vainly looking for work that
they may earn bread for their families,
and when many are compelled to accept
Dublic charity. In furtherance of their