The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1890-04-22
PRINTERS WALK OUT.
The Mechanical Force Of the
sTimes. On a Strike.
IT IS A QUESTION OF WAGES.
The Union Demands . Contract for IN
Advanced Scale, which the Man
agement Refused 70 Sign.

apprentice and three pressmen. constitat-
ing the entire mechanical force of the Eren-
iag Times. with the exception of one APP
prentice, declared strike yesterday morn
ing and walked out of the Office. The
strike was ordered by the executive COM
mittee of the Seattle typographical Union.
No. 202, and was the result of difference
between the'union and the manager Of the
Times on the question of wages.
The Tines is . narrow-column paper,
the measure being eleven and oue-haif ems,
whereas the measure of the other papers
of the city is thirteen ems. which is known
as the standard measure" The position
of the union is that the narrowness of the
Times columns makes it impossible TOR the
compositors on that paper to earn wages
equal to those who work on papers havlng
the wider measure. They demanded
that they be paid the thirteen-ems
price for setting eleven and one-half ems
matter. This demand was reluctantly
acceded to by Manager Dempsey of the
Times The union then demanded that
Mr.. Dempsey sign a contract to pay the
advanced schedule, basing this demand
upon bis previous reluctance TO pay the
new scale and threat alleged to have
been made by him to import non-union
printers Mr.. Dempsey refused to
sign the contract. saying he had no
authority to do so without the consent of
his partner, Colonel George G. Lyon. This
refusal was followed by the action OF the
executive committee OF the union, ordering
the strike. The pressmen were called out
by previous action OF their union. support
ing the proposed demand of the Typo
graphical Union.
The Times secured q number OF nom
union printers and issued a small edition in
the evening. 1t has advertised that it will
employ printers at union rates.
POSITION OF THE TINES.
Manager 7. II. Dempsey, of the Times,
was seen last night and asked to make
statement concerning the strike. Mr..
Dempsey said: Ten days ago was noti-
fed by committee from Seattle Typo
graphical Union, No. 202. that beginning
with Monday. April 81. the compositors
would expect to be paid thirteen ems price
for eleven and one-half ems matter,
or a bonus of one and one-half ems
for every eleven and one-half ems set.
They had but one reason to give for max
ing the demand, and that was that the
compositors could not make as much
money setting the narrow measure of the
Times as they could by working on
the other papers having the wide
measure told the committee
that it was the purpose of the
managers of the Times to adopt the wide
measure SO soon as a new press could be
obtained. and explained to them that it
was necessary to get the press before the
style of the paper could be changed. On
Saturday made them proposition that
would allow them pay for 1000 ems for
each $50 ems set. This they refused, and
seeing no hope of an equitable arrange
ment, and acceeded to their demands
and told them to go to work. This morn
ing the compositors met me with demand
that should sign contract 70 pay them
the increased scale for six months, enfOrc-
ing this demand by a refusal to go to work
until the contract was signed. l told
them that it would be out of the question
for me to sign the contract without con-
sultlng my partner. Colonel George G.
Lyon. l Immediately prepared a telegram
to Colonel Lyon, stating the situation and
asking him what l should do. and was
about to send it to him when Learned from
the steamship passenger list that he was
on a steamer bound for home. l
asked the printers to defer further action
until Col. Lyon could arrive, but they de-
clined TO do So and walked out of the Of
fee. The pressmen followed the compos-
itors upon the orders of their union.
$50 far as the contract which l
was asked to sign is concerned, it
is clearly discrimination against
the Times. No such formal engagement
has been required by the union on the part
of the Posr-lsTELLIeENcER or of any other
paper in Seattle. TO ask me to sign such
an agreement is unreasonable, and have
declined to accede TO it."
STATEMENT FROM THE UNION.
Three members of the executive commit.
tee last night m ade the following state
ment of the case: Two months ago the
union decided to change the scale. and in
the new scale made was q rule making
thirteen ems the minimum basis
of measurement and providing that
all type set below that meas
ure be measured as thirteen ems.
Due notice was served upon Manager
Dempsey. OF the Times. two weeks ago. and
at his request the members OF the executive
committee called upon him. He requested
that the union wait for three months, at
which time he would widen his measure
The members OF the committee refused 10
accede 10 THIS request, anu MI dempsey
told them in plain language that he could
get along without the union. He said his
partner, meaning Colonel G. G. Lyon. had
written him that he could get all the print
ers he wanted in Southern California to
work at 40 cents per i,0so ems, and was
willing to do SO. The conference resulted
in nothing, and no further action
was taken until yesterday morn
ing when the executive committee
waited on Manager Dempsey and requested
an answer from him on the demand. Mr..
Dempsey agreed to everything asked and
accepted the new scale. In view of his
threats TO import rats" the committee
decided TO place him on record and
requested him TO sign the following con-
tract.
I, Thomas II. Dempsey manager OF the seattle
Tsaes do hereby agree TO pay the present scale
Of prices OF the seattle typographical Union
This agreement being UNDERWOOD not to debar
me from protesting against any changes In the
scale which may IN the fntare be made BY tho
said union.
Manager Dempsey refused TO sign the
contract. and the printers were ordered out
of the shop" and the eleven men and the
two apprentices and three pressmen quit,
the latter at q cali from their union, which
had previously Endorsed the proposed ac-
l ton.
The payroll in the composing room Of
the Tfsass amounted 10 $40 last week ac-
corGing 10 tie statement of Man
ager Dempsey. On il are the