The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1891-08-14
THE BUNKER HILL STRIKE
MW q Vt n z
The Mine and Mills Of the Big Conn
pany at Wardner Are
Shut Down.
The Trouble Arose Over Hospital
Dues and the Scale Of
Prices In Force.
Each Side Tells Their STRAIGHTFORWARD
Rich Strike In the Running Wolf
Mlne-Southern Cross Ore.

The great mines and mills of the Bunker
Hill d Sullivan company, OF Wardner, in
the Cmur d'Alenes, are closed down and
have been for a week. II was supposed at
first the trouble would be temporary, but
such has not proved to be the case. 1t Ia a
continuance of the strike ~inauDuratod at
the Carter and Granite mines, but the lat
ter was settled and it was hoped there
would be an agreement reached which
would prevent the strike becoming general.
The present strike was not instituted on
account of tho wages paid miners or skilled
mechanics, but to laborers under ground,
y also on account Of the hospital and
where the fees collected for supporting
same should be applied. Jan. l the en-
ployes united in a request to V. M. Glenn
ert, general manager of the company, ask
ing that the forces Of the night shift be
changed from ten to nine hours, and that
the company continue to furnish gum coats
to those working in wet places. In case
this request was granted the men promised
to be satisfied with all other rules and reg
ulations. On the 18th the management COM
piled with the request, June 20
Manager Clement was requested to deduct
81 a month from the miners wages and
turn it over to the Miners Union hospital
in Wallace. Clement in reply said the
company would not te a party to the COL
lection OF money from it's employees to be
turned over to a foreign corporation. But
he said if the employee desired a change in
the company's doctor at Wardner, or in the
rNonror - thu 1iutrihufir1 0f tho fuoIs
let all the employees decide by a popular
vote. August 6 a vote was taken, with the
result that there was a majority Of ninety
three in favor of establishing a hospital at
Wardner. The company then posted the
following notice:
by the vote taken this day. the ticket
headed 'Wardner Hospital was carried by
= majority of ninety-three. Accordingly
one dollar ($1.OO) per month will be re-
tanned from each employees pay for the
benefit of a Wardner hospital. As prsvi-
Ously notified, any and all employees who do
not wish 81 per month retained for this
purpose, are not only at liberty, BUT ARE
REQUESTED to call at the c~ompany's Office
for their time"
In the evening a meeting was held by
the union, at which many engaged on
the night shift in the B. II. g. i. mines
were in attendance, and after adjourn
mont a large number of employees, COM
prising q committee, proceeded to the
mines and called all the men off its
works.
August z another committee called at the
c~ompany's Office and delivered to Assistant
Manager f. w. Bradley a notification to
the effect that the union had ordered a
strike, demanding $3.50 per day for all
labor under ground; also 81 per month
hospital fees. said amount to be sent to
thu lin orcJ mir houry{o1 at Wo11nne
to the men themselves, and further de-
mandsd that no work be performed nder
ground until the ompany settled satisfac-
torily with the union the question of wages
and hospital collections.
To this President j. II. Hammond replied
on the 8th by telegram from San Francisco:
1.-The demands of the union are unjust,
therefore the company oannot acceed to any
such preposterous demands"
Secretary Jas. A. Drennin, of the Miners
union, make the following statement for
the employees:
1.-The Cmur d'Alene Miners union ia COM
posed of the unions of Burke, Gem, Null
Ian and Wardner, as one consolidated un-
lon: At a meeting of Burke, Gem and
Mullan unions, before consolidating with
Wardner union, it was decided by them to
erect a union hospital at Wallace, as said
place is centrally located for Occur d'Alene
Miners' union and to dispense with all COM
pany doctors, and every member of said
unions to contribute the sum of 81 to said
hospital. that being the sum which has
heretofore been deducted from our pay and
paid to company doctors by the different
companies.
This being the tenor of our demand, which
the manager of the Bunker Hill & Sullivan
company refused to comply with on our
committee report, u strike was declared on
said company by the Wardner Miners'
union. Also. as the scale Of wages of the
Burke, Gem and Mullan unions call for and
do receive $3.50 per day for all underground
men and Wardner the only branch of the
union allowing their men to work for So per
day. in duty bound by all the p%rinciplss of
right and Justice and acting as our motto
dictates. We also make the demand that all
men working underground in the Bunker
Hill and Sullivan mines DO paid the sum of
$3.50 per day in connection with the privi-
lege OF using our dollar per month as We see
fit for medical services"
The trouble is a most serious ono, and
Helena men who are largely interested in
the Ceur d'Alenes, hope that it will be soon
settled.