St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1891-04-07
ALL SHOPS, Save ONE.
The Tin, Sheet Iron and Cornice
Workers Are Locked Out.

The lockout Of the tin, sheet iron and
cornice workers has become fixed tact
IN st. Paul, and is very likely to become
so in Minneapolis tomorrow. Nine of
the iourneymen showed up at the shops
in st. Paul for work yesterday. The
bosses posted notices last week TO the
effect that the journeymen must agree
to work ten hours day for the aggre-
gate paid for days wages the past
year, and that this understanding must
be had by April 6 yesterday. The
Journeymen replied that they would not
work more than nine hours for DAVIS
work and that they would demand an
increase of 20 per cent In wages after
May |, and if these demands were not
acceded to by last Saturday night they
| would not go to work yesterday. No
agreement was reached, and the men
gathered up their tools Saturday evening
and took them away from the shops,
A meeting of their union was held at 10
Il. III. yesterday at the corner OF Third
ana Exchange streets, when it was de-
termlned to stay out until the bosses
should agree to the demand for nine
hours and an increase of % per cent
over the old scale of wages. The Jour
neymen OF Minneapolis have also Sig
nlled their intention of Joining in the
demand, and will quit work tonight.
a committee was appointed at yester-
days meeting to act III conjunction
with a committee to be appointed from
the Minneapolis union in considering
any proposition looking to an arbitra-
ton of differences with the bosses. An
other meeting will be beld at 10 O'Clock
this morning at the corner of Third and
Exchange streets, in this city, to take
such action as the status of affairs NAV
! seem TO demand. Local Union No. 8
has issued the following statement of
Its position in the matter:
Inc present lockout of the tin, sheetiron
ana corhlce makers seems to be due
10 the peculiar views held by the
| employers as to the nature of a bar
gain. Though at first refusing to treat with
the men as union, they now admit the right
OF The union to stipulate for the number of
hours the men shall work; but the firms are
mighty Indignant that any but themselves
should presume to set the price upon labor.
| III they were buying a load of hay they
would expect the seller to set his own price.
| to be accepted or let alone as the buvers saw
| hit; but labor is regarded as Il commodity SO
! cheap that the buyers should have il at their
| own price The men, however. are not so
simple Il, to think that it does not take two TO
| make bargain All that was asked bv the
! 81. Paul Journeymen was n continuation of
| the nlne-day hour and an increase of 20 per
| cent on their wages. If the EMPLOYERS
| thought this too much all they had to do was
to say so and make different offer as they
! would III amy other bar ;din. No strike was
| contemplated or threatened. Discourteous
J and arrogant treatment Oh the part of the
| firms has. however, caused a lockout, which
! appears to be in earnest
| though no fault can be found with tha
! straightforward and timely action of the
! union this spring. i'll giving the firms due
! nOtlce so as 10 cause as little loss ana incou-
| venlence as possible, yet complaint is made
! that while the union strictly agreed last
! spring to ask only a decrease of hours and no
increase OF wages during the year, every
| man mas, one time Oranother, asked for more
! wages. An obvious confusion here exists a.
| 10 the functions of O trades union and the
| privileges Of individuals though it seems in
credible that any intelligent person could
| suppose that a union in any Way touches tine
! scale OF individual wages or mans right to
| ask TOR higher place on the scale: that re-
! mains as before the existence of unions en-
| ufely between each man and his EMPLOYERS
! III Is only when general increase is contenl-
plateu or a decrease IS resisted that the union
| eVerlnter1ereS with the question of wages
1t was thought at first that the Minneapolis
| iron workers would find it difficult to take
| precisely the stand of the ST. Paul men. as
they are year behind i'll union work; but il
| was PLAIN that the st. Paul men could not 60
| back year, and since the men of both cities
must stand together, the younger union had
10 Jump grade and make the same terms as
that Ot st. Paul; the two unions have com
pletely affiliated and expect to be out to-
| gether Tomorrow
One prominent firm. that of the Walter
| stoTH Haskell com pany has been from the
| nrst entirely out OF the trouble They re-
| fused on the start to unite with the other
| hrms IN theiT view of the case or TO follow
thelr example In posting offensive placards
ployes like men, and their men cannot saw
| enough i'll praise OF their honorable action