The Philipsburg mail. [volume] (Philipsburg, Mont.) 1887-current, 1893-05-25
YHK MINKRS' FEDERATION

Ynk MlMkRS FEDERATION
UNIONS OF SIX STATES FORM A
CENTRAL BODY.
The Meeting Held Mt Butte Last Week-A
List fthe Officers Chosen-BrlefSy Synop-
sis of the Constitution-Next Meet
ing to be Held at Salt tLake City.
ing the past five days has been in session
at Miners Union hail, Butte, completed
it's labors at a late hour last Friday
evening and organized grand body to
be known as the Western Federation of
Miners. Between 10000 and $4,000
miners are represented in this federation
and it now takes rank as one of the
strongest labor organizations of the
country
Owing to the fact that a standard
scale of wages for each locality could not
be established, it was decided to allow
each union to fix it's own scale for a
certain locality and this scale will be
upheld by every union member.
Salt Lake was selected as the place for
holding the next annual meeting in May,
1894.
The following officers we're elected for
the ensuing year:
President-John Gllligan.
First yice-r resident-D. D. Good, of
Granite
Second vice president Duggan,
Of Eureka.
Secretary and treasurer-T. Maluin, Of
Butte.
Warden William Cunningham, Of
Butte.
Executive board-John Mcleod, of
Terry's Peak, South Dakota; James Mil
let of Granite; Anth ny Matthews, OF
Butte; Patrick Gallagher, of Butte.
he session was an interesting one
and the aims and objects of the feder-
alton are fully set forth in the consti-
tntios snd preamble az follows:
Since there is scarcely any fact better known
than that civilization has for centuries progress
cation Of the metals. precious and base, and
most of the comforts enjoyed by the great
majority of mankind are due to this progress
occupation Of mining should receive s l a fail
compensation for their labor and such pro
lection from the law as will remove needless
FsR Il em lite % and health f. W We herGfoEe deem
Of Miners of America for the purpose of secur-
ing by education and organization and wise
legislation, just compensation for oDr labor,
ana the right to use our earnings free from
dictation by any persons whatsoever. We there
fore declare our objects to be-:
10 secure earnings compatible with the dan
gers OF our employment
10 establish, as speedily as possible and for
ever our right to receive pay for labor performed
in lawful money and to rid ourselves of tie
where and how our employers and their officer,
may designate.
To procure an introduction and use of any
and all suitable and efficient appliances for the
preservation of the life, health and limbs of all
employees, and thereby preserve to society large
numbers of wealth producers annually.
laws, with a sufficient number of inspectors,
who shall be practical miners, for the proper
enforcement of such laws.
To- provide for the education of oar children,
by lawfully prohibiting their employment until
they have obtained q satisfactory education and,
in every case, until they shall have reached Ii
years of age.
To prevent by law any mine owner or mining
company from employing any Pinkerton detect
ives or other armed forces lom taking posses
sion Of any mine, except the lawfully elected or
bona ide citizens Of the county and state
10 use all honorable means to maintain
friendly relations between ourselves and ou1
employers and to endeavor by arbitration and
Cancellation to settle such differences as may
arise between U.S. and thus make strikes un.
necessary.
To use all lawful and honorable means tc
abolish the system of contract convict labor in
states where it exists, and to demand the
enforcement of the foreign contract labor law
and It the protection Of our American miners and
10 demand the repeal of of all conspiracy
laws that in any way abridge the rights of laboI
| organizations.
TO procure employment for our members in
preference to nOn-uniOn men.
The federation shall be supported by "a pei
capita tax collected from the miners unions Of
on the second Monday in May Of each year and
each local union shall be entitled to one dele
gate for 100 members or less and one for each
100 or majority fraction thereof. but no dele
cation shall have more than five votes.
| The revenue of this federation shall be de-
rived from a charter fee, at the cost of pro.
member in good standing, to be paid from the
general fund quarterly, and in case of emergency
such assessments as, in the judgment of the ex-
It shall be unlawful II for i any local union to
enter as union, strike, unless when ordered
by hree-fourths OF its resident members and on
approya, y Of the executive board who shall have M
local union, provided that, when employers re-
fuse to give thirty days notice, or thirty days
time to consider the proposed change in wages
union, then it shall be lawful for such local
union to strike in order to maintain their posi-
ton, and they shall be entitled to receive all
the assistance which approval of the executive
| board would entit1e them to.
| On presentation of travelling card to any
union the tolder shall be entitled to the same
benefits, financial and otherwise. to which he
would in his own local union; and shall be aided
in procuring employment when desired, provid-
ed that all money paid to any, member under
this section shall be repaid by the local union tc
which the member then belongs.
No member shall be admitted to seat in q
local union or convention while under the in.
fuence of liquor, Or any member refusing tc
| obey the order of the president, in either case
shall be fned..$1 for each offense.
Each local union may provide for the, educa-
| tanning library for the use of its members and
| the use of such newspapers as are deemed best
| calculated to promote the interests ofa min.
| ing community.
| Where two or more local unions exist, they
may, if they deem it necessary, organize district
union, for the pu rpose OF doing business jointly
for the district, the local unions to elect dele
gates to to the district union. But the district
unions shall be subordinate TO the federation