St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1892-03-22
A Strike Inaugurated by EN-
ployes OF West Publish
ing House.
Too Many Apprentices EN-
ployed to Suit the Union
Men.
Their Case Fairly Set Before
the Public for judy
ment.
The West People Propose to
Run With Non-Union
Help.

The union printers, as we'll as ma
chine operators and apprentices in the
West Publishing company, walked out
at O'Clock yesterday afternoon. The
contemplated strike was accordingly in
augurated. The strike occurred
promptly when the bell rang to resume
work for the afternoon. The printers,
machine operators and feed boys who
quit work number seyenty-fve. The eX-
ecutive committee of Typographical
Union No. 80 had been In conference
with representatives of the West Pnb-
fishing company until the moment
of the strike without being able
to adjust differences. The union had
agreed upon the strike at Sundays
meeting unless the company should
make the concessions demanded rela-
tive TO the number Of apprentices. By
the regulations of the union the COIN
pany is entitled to eleven apprentices,
when, as a matter of fact, about thirty
are employed. At the conference yes
terday the company agreed to reduce
the number OF apprentices to seventeen,
but this did not satisfy the union. The
printers claim that boys have been put
to work on cases in numbers greater than
the union regulations permit. The
communications sent to the union Sun
day did not give much attention to the
subject of apprentices. but dwelt ON the
matter of fining the foreman. The
union disposed OF the latter point by
Offering to Arbitrate,
thus leaving the apprentice matter as
the sole issue. At the conference yes
terday j. B. West expressed satisfac
ton with the method proposed to settle
the question of fining the foreman. The
company insisted Oil the right to keep
five more apprentices than the union
would agree to at the conference yes
terday, and as consequence the strike
was ordered by the executive COM
mittee.
The union printers are determined to
stick out, as are also the machine work.
ers. who went out with them. The
printers claim that the company can
not stick out long. The peculiar work
done by it requires large number of
expert printers. The copy used is
of peculiar character, and it
takes good printers who have
worked OH newspapers several months
to familiariZe themselves with the work
required at the publishing house.
Several of the strikers went to work
at various places yesterday. and it is
only question of few weeks until all
will be at work.
The chapel meets every afternoon at
O'clock at Labor hall to sign the roll
for their pay from the union. The ma
chine boys will also be supported by
the union while out of work. These
boys. it is said, cannot be readily re-
placed. as it will require several
months training to be able to feed the
typesetting machines.
The only employees left in the printing
department are the lady copy holders,
the two typewriter operators and the
foreman. lf.;Ee sGit
.vG A Printers View.
"The theory of the union in stipulat-
ing certain ratio OF apprentices to
journeymen employed" said a repre-
sentative union printer last evening,
us that such course is necessary to
maintain the competency of workmen.
There should be no division Of opinion
between the employers and the union
OH the need of this apprentice curtail-
ment, as provided by the union laws.
The employer asks for competent work.
men. The union is DESTROYS of supply
ing the demand. Ii an excessive ratio
of apprentices is allowed in all Office
they cannot properly learn the trade for
want of proper instruction. The re-
suit will be all output of incompe-
tents. The union, to protect itself as
an organization, is compelled to, gener-
ally speaking, accept these men as
members. 1t is then accused of being
made up of incompetent printers, while
the facts are, it uses every endeayor to
raise the standard of competency. The
West trouble is an instance of where
its efforts in this direction are baked,
whereas there should be an equal en-
deavor, if the true interests of the
printing trade were considered. In sup
port of this President Pugh, of the
United TypothetR of America, at the
last annual meeting of that body,
strongly advocated the abolition of the
present apprentice system, he consider
ing it an expensive and unsatisfactory
institution. This opinion is gaining
strength. as is evidenced by the policy
of the large Eastern book Offices, where
the apprentice feature is being elm
mated and their work voluntarily given
over to journeymen. The interest the
union assumes in the apprentice prob
lem is really more of trade nature
than OF organization strength, and it
has Just reason to feel discouraged that
its arguments and propositions are not
viewed in that light"
The company has taken a stand
against any further concession, and is
making an attempt to secure non-union
printers to take the place of the strikers.
Is MRS. KELLER LIABLE.