The San Francisco call., 1895-11-06
Thirty Operatives Walk Out of
Schmidt's Label Estab-
lishment.
PRINTERS MAY JOIN THEM.
Fifteen Underpaid Girls Among Those
Called Out by the Union for
Higher Pay.

The San Francisco Printing Pressmen's
Union has locked horns with the Schmidt
Label Company of IL Main street, and as
result of their differences eleven men,
four boys and fifteen girls have been called
out on a strike. The trouble is over the
rate of wages paid and the amount OF work
required of the operatives, the claim being
that the wages are not in proportion to the
services performed.
The Pressmen's Union complain that
the Schmidt Label Company for the past
eight years has been gradually grinding it's
workmen until the situation became un-
bearable At recent meeting of the
union the following statement was pre-
pared which explains the difficulty in full ::
On September a committee of San Fran
cisco Printing Pressmen's Union No. "a visited
the Schmidt Label Company, II Main street,
and asked the firm to pay the pressmen in
their employ the same scale OF wages that is
received by pressmen working for other print
ers in this City-$lS per week for pressmen
operating one-eylinder presses or $21 per week
for pressmen operating two.cy1nder presses.
After several unsuccessful efforts on the part
of the Printing Pressmen's Union to amicably
settle the existing differences and considering
the injustice done the workmen by the firm in
compelling them to operate three and four
presses for the same pay that pressmen receive
in other offices for operating one press, the
union decided to call tne Workmen out on
strike.
The system in vogue was such that the en-
ployes were virtually compelled to perform ten
! hours work in an eight-hour workday, and re-
ceiyed only an eight-hour rate of pay. There
are now on strike eleven men, four boys and
fifteen girls.
The girls employed by the Schmidt Company
as press-feeders received at least so per cent
less wages than are paid the same class of
skilled labor in the Eastern cities. Label print
ing is high grade work. 1t is special work
1 nn4T
OF it, and exceedingly few are competent work
men in that branch of the business The
chances of "spoilage" on the part of the press
man are many and the cost very great. The
Schmidt Company is the only label house IN
this City that does not pay the regular scale of
wages
We are willing to submit the difficulty for ad-
! justment TO committee OF Typothete, E. L..
Fitzgerald, the LABOR Commissioner, or any
committee of disinterested citizens.
Chairman Executive Committee.
+. ONEIII
Secretary Union.
Secretary O'Neill stated yesterday that
| everything possible had been done to pre-
vent clash, but all to no purpose. The
matter was presented to Labor Commits
sioner Fitzgerald, who called upon the
! Schmidt people. He was told that the
! girls received SO a week, when they get
| only 81 so, so per cent less than skilled op-
eratives receive in other establishments in
San Francisco and the East. AS to the
men being treated well, Mr.. O'Neill said
that it could easily be proved that the
pressmen were compelled to handle three
and four presses, two mems work for one
mans pay.
When the matter was called to the at
tention of the Labor Commissioner the
Schmidt people asked for a statement as
! to what the pressmen wanted. The state
ment presented was that the same pay,
work, hours and treatment as accorded by
| similar establishments was wanted, and
nothing more.
| The company's answer was substan.
tally that when men were wanted il
would hire any one who applied for po-
sition, but that the men would be recOg.
nized as individuals and not as members
OF the Pressmen's Union.
"Since then" said O'Neill, sthe com.
pany has been hard pressed for competent
workmen and has lost lots of time in try
ing to break in new operatives. The girls
who went out on strike have been SEM
for, but they refused to return to work un.
til the difficulties with the men were set
tied. The company has threatened tc
send to Germany for operatives, because il
can't secure competent help in this State
or in the United States, as all skilled
pressmen belong to the international
union"
The pressmen state that if the Schmidt
| Label Company persists in its course the
printers may decide TO go out on a strike
until the difficulty is adjusted.