The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1897-04-07
MEN ENGAGED IN THE SASH AND
DOOR BRANCH OF THE CON-
Germ QUIT.
A CUT IN WAGES CAUSED 1T.
ONE HUNDRED AND SEVENTY-FIVE
MEN WALKED OUT LAST
THURSDAY.
PLANT WILL OPEN THIS MORNING.
Men Who Desire to Return to Work
ON the COmpany's Terms
Can Do So.

The striking employees of the Bohn
Manufacturing company held meet
ing yesterday afternoon at the Garfield
hail. TIA Arcade street, and an effort
was made to arrive at some kind OF a
settlement between the men and the
company.
The strike was inaugurat9d last
Thursday, when ITS Of the 200 employees
and walked out of the sash and door
branch of the institution The men say
that they are working for less than
living wages, and the main causes for
the walkOut were this fact and, what
they consider the much more inpOr-
tant one, that they are not being paid
the wages that are due them. The
scale of wages paid by the company
since Jan. &c, when a 20 per cent cut
was inaugurated, is as follows: A No.
l machine hand, $1.28; helpers, so cents,
and boys, 40 cents. The men protest
that they cannot support their families
at these wages, and especially in view
of the fact that the company is in ar
rears on its pay roll since Feb. IL. The
strikers held a meeting last Friday
night and sent a committee 10 the firm
asking that the cut of 20 per cent be
restored, but the committee were I'M
able to come to terms with the com
pany and so reported to The meeting.
At the meeting yesterday the firm
again refused to come to any sOr4 of
an agreement with the men other than
to offer to allow them TO return 10
work at the old scale of wages When
the meeting convened a messenger Was
sent to the members of the company
with the information that the men
were in session and desired their pres
ence. They responded at once to The
invitation and listened attentivelv to
the statements Of the men, IN which
they requested the restoration of the
cut that had been made and so a
settlement of the money due them for
work already performed After the
men had finished they were informed
by the members of the company that
the cut in wages would not be restored
and that if the men came back to work
at the present scale of wages they
could not set date when the cut could
be restored. and they also declined to
say when they would be able to pay
the back pay due them.
There were 122 men present at the
meeting, and when a vote was taken
as to whether they should go back to
work at the old scale Of wages, % Of
them voted no. 10 voted yes, AMI the
rest refused to vote. The vote was
taken at the request Of the members
Of the company, that they might ascer-
tain how the men stood. Those who
voted to return to work. and those who
did not vote at all afterward said they
would stand by the majority, and the
meeting adjourned after hearing a
statement from the company that they
would open the plant this morning in
any event, and those men who desired
to return to work should report at the
regular hour
The members of the firm .pent the
afternoon yesterday visiting the 1ren
individually and requesting them to 1e-
turn TO work this morning. 1t is said
that the company has a large order
from New York firm which they will
lose unless 1t can be finished within a
stipulated time
The strikers will hold another meet
ing next Friday night at Garfield hall.