Telegram-herald., 1891-06-26
noulotRs EXPLAIN.
They Lee the fablie ksss the Reason
Of Their AeFisa-

OF Their ASa~a
Tue mouiders who recently struck
or walked out. st the Grand Rapids
school Furniture Company, IN letter
explain their reasons Tor not returning
10 work last Monday as usual:
THE moalders had Intended from
the start Of their trouble not 90 DO any
talking through the newspapers. How :
ever, A the School Furniture Company
have seen 1t 10 publish statement
that Is false, We have decided 10 state
our aide OF the case, winch We cAIl
prove 10 oe true 10 any one who care.
TO investigate the matter. Tie trouble
began last March by the foreman s
making an attempt TO reduce the price
of three different Jobs. We refused TO
accept the cut, but agreed to work on
them for . short time under protest.
Then followed q great many arguments
between men and foreman, when
ended by the forenlsn's referring our
committee to Mr.. Peregrine, IN which
interyiew we received no satisfaction,
only that ne lett the matter IN the
hands OF the foreman.
The next thing we knew the tore.
man retaiiated by reducing nearly every
bench Job IN the shop and several OF
the jobs on the iioOr, stating as his rea-
son for so dong that the committee had
mlsrepresented him To the firm, anu
he was "gong to be reVenged." FIN.
ally seeing that we were determined
not 10 accept his prices, he did put most
of the jobs back TO the old price, claim
ing that ne was raising them, still re-
tanning the price on the Jobs that 1t
had cut in March, that being the point
he was STRIVING for. We viii be honest
with the public and say that the fore
man did raise the price on two job:
that We asked for, ana two that we did
not ask for.
The trouble came to head last Thurs
day by the foreman's presenting fcuI
of the cut jobs to rs many moulders.
the mouiders promptly resgning their
positions. among them one new man
probably the one referred TO in Mr.
Peregrine's statements IN the daily pa.
pers. This man is now at work IN the
city and can testify for himself rs tC
the treatment he has received at the
hands Of the union. The firm then
called committee of our men in the
the next morning to this question:
viii you accept the jobs at oul
price?" They got 1t. no, we viii
not"
We heard nothing from them unit
$3.50 p. M, when the firm, through ii
foreman, posted the notice declaring
their shop open to anlon or non-unlor
men at union prlces-a very fair prop
osltlon to the uninit atcd. Ii we le
non-union men work beside us, the
chances are that IN a short time the
non-union men will be well instructed
in our ways OF doing the work, ano
capable of instIucting some other non
union men, and the firm has no more
use Tor us.
Their offer to pay union prices II
co mpetent men looks fair, but is il
W ait and see. We have been working
| for the Grand Rapids School Furniture
company by the piece, and We have
made more than the day men in thu
city have, and 1--WE have earned it, too
MIR. Peregrine said SO, and wished W.
| could make more. Ii we accept tho
terms offered we would be doing thu
work for $3.50 per day, and the Schco
Furniture company Will be gettins
more work for the money than any
firm in the world.
We have offered to make q settlement
on \ day basis providing we can agree
on reasonable days work. We hav,
offered to arbitrate, and have been re
fused. We are all on earth yet, and a
last accounts all hands were getting
three meals day.
MoULDERs' COMMITTEE.