The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1892-03-28
The Trouble in the Cpur d'Alene
Country Is Assuming a Ser
ious Aspect
Owners and Members of the Union
Firm in tho Position
Taken.
Probability That Men VIII Re Imported
and That the Miners VIII Insist on
Their Joining Their Body.

WARDNRR, Idaho. March a6.-[Special, -
The relations of the Mine Owners assocla.
ton and the Miners union in regard to
wages is beginning to assume n rather serl-
Gus aspect. The Mine Owners association
has issued its ultimatum as regards Il
schedule of wages, and tho executive board
of the Miners union has announced that
the unions would not go to work at the
wages offered. The situation is rather pc
culiar and somewhat serious. III differ
ent districts or places whore there Is a
group of mines have q local union. which
are four in all. being at Burke. Mullan,
Gem and Wardner. Delegates from each
Of the local MO constitute q central
union, whoss actions and decisions governs
all, and it is said that they are we'll organ
ICED and we'll conducted. Some time ago
some of the mines paid a uniform rate Of
So. 80 per day for all men UNDERGROUND, and
some OF the mines paid only the miners
SIS. so and the shovelsrs IS. In August or
last summer a strike was declared for $500
per day for all men underground in all mines.
The mine owners held out for q time, bus
finally Welded to the demand, and, it is
said by the union, mads u contract with
them TO paw those wages Indefinitely.
Work continued under these rates until
claimed, on account Of high freight rates
in ore. Recently, however. terms were
made with the RAILROAD companies for salts
factory freight rates, and among other an
nouncements made by the Mine Owners
association regarding the settlement was a
schedule of wages they had agreed upon to
pay employees. which was $3.50 per day Tor
all miners ana car men III shaft mines and
wet tunnels, and IS per day for car men in
tunnel mines. The minors union took ina
mediate notice Of il and make many grlev-
auces. They claim, in the first place, that
the mine owners have broken faith with
them: that they had an agreement regard
ing wages, and that tho shutdown was not
on account of wages. but for other causes,
and when they we're ready to start up it
would have been but common courtesy to
have conferred with the union ond discuss
any grievances they had regarding wages. As
it is, the union looks upon it as though the
mine owners intended to lgnore the union.
AS to the schedule of wages, it virtually
puts it back where it WAS last summer be-
fore the strike. The dissatisfaction seems
to be more q matter of courtesy and grlev-
ances for not conferlng with the union and
discussing the circumstance before an
nounoing a change. However, a strike is
we'll on. and it begins to look as if the
mine owners intercedod to entirely ignore
the union as an organization. 1t is plain
that the Mine Owners association intend
to employ whom they please, and to pay
them for their services according to the
class Of services and work hsre formed.
The Miners union, Ga the othor hand de-
clare that no men shall go undor ground
for less than $3.50 per day, and argue that
a class of service can be obtained able to
earn il.
Just what will be the outcome ID hard to
tell at this time. About 1000 men are
needed in the various mines, and it ia pro
bable that the owners will bring them in.
At the time of the shutdown nearly all the
men left the camp, and it is not likely,
just yet, that any of the union men will re-
turn, and ii is probable that the Mine
Owners association will try to start up
their mines entirely independent Of the
union, and the union will try, at least, to
prevent men from working for less than
$3.50 per day, and compel them to join the
union