The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1894-04-23
STRIKERS TALK BOYCOTT
Grifing Works Employees Assured
Of the Support Of the Central
Labor Union.

The locked out employees of the Grifing
Iron Company are very confident today that
the trouble will soon be at an end. A meet
ing was held at Tanners Hall, on Grand
street, this morning. The committees ap
pointed to enlist the support of the various
branches of trade controlled by the Central
Labor Union, reported that boycott would
be declared against the goods ma nufactured
by the Griffing Company If the troubless is
not adjusted by tomorrow evening. This
report was received with cheers, as the en-
tire success of the locked out men in their
fight hinged upon the action of the Central
Labor Onion. Had the Union refused to
take hand in the fight the employees would
have been beaten, but now, the men declare,
defeat is impossible, as all union iron work
ers, steam filters and builders will refuse to
handle Grifflng goods until the demands of
the men are acceded to.
TALK OF BOYCOTT.
A special meeting of the Central Labor
Union will be held in New York this even
ing, and a committee of Griffing employees
will be present. A plan Of boycott will be
discussed and a committee will be appointed
to visit President Williams tomorrow morn
ing and attempt to effect a settlement. If
President Williams refuses to give an audi
ence to the New York representatives, or if,
after consulting with them, he refuses to
open the works and return to the old sched-
ule of wages, boycott will Immediately be
declared.
The meeting of the morning was attended
by over two hundred men, and was the most
enthusiastic yet held. Among the commune
cations received from the labor unions was
one from the Steamfitters' Union, in which
the members declared that they had already
taken action in the matter, and had decided
not to handle any of Griffing radiators until
a settlement is effected between the company
and the men.
President Williams was charged at the
meeting with complaining that the employees
of the works are acting unfairly in bringing
the matter before the Central Labor Union.
PRESIDENT WILLIAMS TO BLAME.
One of the members in replying to this
statement said eff this matter results in a
boycott upon the Griffing goods, President
Williams should not complain. We were
willing to allow the matter to remain among
ourselves and the officials, but President
Williams took the first step toward a
boycott when he ordered a lockout
Heretofore all notices of reductions of salary
and other orders affecting the men were
Thursday was the first time in twelve years
that President Williams appended his sigma
ture to a notice of an order affecting the
employees. Mr. Williams notice was simply
sbldH' to force us to come to time, but am
sure the meetings we have held have given
ample proof that we are not the sort of men
to take bluff. When visited the Central
Labor Union the members of the Executive
Committee ridiculed the statement that the
Wilson tariff caused President Williams to
keep the employees working at the reduced
rate of wages. The Executive Committee
informed us that this was trick of Presi-
dent Williams and that the passage of
the Wilson bill would give the
profit on every article manufactured
by them. The steamfitters are with us to
man. We are not fighting as individuals but
as body Of men who have been ground
down almost to starvation wages by a
wealthy concern. / can promise you, COM
rades, that if the Griffing Iron Company re-
fuses to return to the old schedule of wages
the matter will pass out of our hands and
will be taken up by union laborers through
out the United States
WILL WAIT FOR THEIR PAY.
None of the locked out men visited the
works Saturday to receive the pay envelopes
which President Williams had prepared for
them. They declare that they will beg for
food, if necessary, rather than to ask for
their pay before next Saturday, which is the
regular pay day. Three machinists, who
were not members of the Independent Iron
Workers Association, returned to work this
morning and, together with the foreman,
made a pretence of carrying on the work
The locked out men will hold another meet
ing tomorrow morning at the rooms of the
st. Andrews Workingmen'S Association in
Armorv Hall