Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1892-08-18
The Loss to Both EMPLOYERS
and Employees is Enor-
nous.
Various Are the Reasons Adj
vanCed by the Strikers for
Their Actions.
There Were No Less Than
24,5I8 American Strikes
from 1881 to 1887.


of Philadelphia. Since that date the
losses incurred by employers and en-
plOyes through strikes in this country
have been simply incalculable-
| Between the years 1881 and 1887 in
elusive there occurred 24,51S American
strikes. From these, the total loss to
the strikers was S51, S14, 743. The en-
ployers also lost enormously during the
same period by the enforced closing of
their works and by damage to properly.
The earliest strike in America, alluded
to above, was that of the j0urneymen
bootmakers Of Philadelphia. The men
struck, or turned OUT as they phrased
it, for an increase of wages. After two
weeks suspension of trade their de-
mands were granted, and this success
gained them greater strength and pop
ularity, so that when they turned
OUT in 179S and again in1799, for fur
Their increases, they were still success
fGl, and escaped Indictment. The eX-
ample Of the sturdy Quaker boOtmakerS
spread rapidly and was indirectly the
cause Of the important New York
sailors strike of 1903. A number of
sailors who had been receiving $40 per
month demanded $14. The malcontent
mariners formed in q body, marched
around the city, compelled the seaInen
who were employed at the old rates to
leave their ships and join the turn
! out" Thus we see, says the Philadel-
phia Press, that modern strike methods
were not wholly unknown ninety years
ago. In consequence of the strikers
proceedings the town guard was or
dered ont and the leader of the demon
stration arrested and sent to Jail. The
strike ended il complete failure.
| Meanwhile the pioneer strikers of the
Philadelphia shOemaking guild had
been growing more audacious, and on
November 1, 1905, they turned out"
! en- masse for higher wages. The in
crease asked for ranged from % cents
to IS cents per pair of boots.
! This strike lasted seven weeks, and
| was Signally unsuccessful. In fact, it
| ended i'll trial for conspiracy brought
against the men by the master cord
Wainer, one of whom, John Bedford
) testified that he had lost over $4,000
annually through turns OUT ordered
! by the Journeymen's association. The
defendants were found guilty of con
! spring to raise their wages" and Re
; corder Moses Levy sentenced them to
! q fine of So and costs each.
| This crushing blow effectually killed
! labor organization in Philadelphia for
many years. The New York ShOemak-
! Crs. however, took up the war and
! turned out in 1909. Nearly 200 men
! were engaged in the strike. At that
time a stoppage of work in one shop
/ was known as a ''shike," while a gen
cral stoppage was known as a general
! turnout" The New York strikers We're
finally victorious.
| Six years subsequently. Pittsburg eX-
! perienced its first turnout the
! ubiquitous shoemakers being once more
the strikers. Their attempt ended I'm
! successfully, and the leaders were
tried, convicted and fined.
! In 1927 occurred the first printers
strike. It took place in Albany. Y. Y,
the Typographical society of that town
striking against the Introduction of non
! union WO1kmen.
! The earliest recorded strikes for re-
auctions in hours OF work were started
in 1890 by the carpenters and masons of
! Boston. The men wanted to limit the
work-day to ten hours. but they were
| unsuccessful. The growth of organized
| labor had been so great that the ent-
! plOyerS became alarmed, and Oh May
, 10, 1882, the merchants and shOp-oWn-
ers of Boston met and adopted resolu-
, tons against unions. One of these res
Olutions was as follows:
| 1--WE will neither employ any journey
, man who belongs to such combinations
nor give work to any master mechanic
who employs journeymen thus pledged
to each other"
! This condemnation had but little
effect. Strikes increased in number all
over America, but particularly in Bos-
ton, where the ten-hour system move
ment continued to be agitated.
In April, 1884, the militia were called
out to suppress a riot caused by strill
ing laborers on the Providence railroad,
at Mansfield, Mass, and several strikers
We're taken prisoners.
The first big mill strike began in
August, 1885, when the operatives of
twenty mills at Paterson, n. j., struck
for reduced hours. Six weeks idlaneSS
and loss of 100000 in wages and ex-
penseS to the workmen were the re
suits. In May, 1885, the workmen in
the Philadelphia coal yards struck for
the ten-hour work-day. After several
weeks idleness, the difference was set
tied by the worlnnen agreeing to
work from sunrise to sunset" with
an interniSsion of three hours each day.
The loss to the employers in this
strike was estimated at over $4,000.
This success gave Philadelphia work
men courage, and one month after
wards several trade societies paraded
the streets bearing a large white ban
ner with the motto: From 6 to g.
They marched to the state house yard,
and there held an Open-air meeting.
The city council at once sided with the
laborers and reduced the hours of
work of all in the city's employ
Wages were also raised from an aver
age Of 81 II cents per day to one of
81 per day.
During the latter part Of the summer
of 1885 the still militant journeyInen
shoemakers of Philadelphia and the
saddlers of the same city struck for re-
auctions of hours and increase of
wages. Both strikes were successful.
A very peculiar strike was that Of the
F'rencl-Canadian IahOrerS on dam in