The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-06-12
GLASS WORKERS STRIKE
SPLIT IN THE POWERFUL ASSOCIA-
TION STARTS AT ANDERSON.
Demand for Increase by Blowers and
Gatherers May Spread All
Over the Country.
specIal to the INDIANAPOLIS Journal.

Special to the Indianapolis Journal.
ANDERSON, Ind, June 1.-Simon
Burns, president of the window glass
workers federated organizations, arrived
in Anderson to-day from Pittsburg, in re-
sponse to a call and is endeavoring to adj
just breech between the blowers and
gatherers on the one hand and the cutters
and manufacturers on the other. Trouble
has been brewing for months and threatens
to split the closest organized labor fedora
ton in the United States. The North An
derson window glass factory in this city has
been shut down to-day as result of a de-
mand for an increase of the wage scale on
the part of the blowers and gatherers
from the management. The strike makes
the entire plant idle and it is quite likely
that the fires will not be rekindled till the
new scale is made and agreed on. The
blowers and gatherers insist that the cut
ters discriminate against them and are ma
liciously cutting their wages to the lowest
possible notch.
AS the present scale is arranged the cut
ters have very wide latitude in cutting
glass and a consequence the salary of
both blowers and gatherers is determined
by the report of the cutters. The cutters
stoutly deny the charges and state that
they cut the glass as ordered by the man
agement of the factory, and that the
wages of the blowers and gatherers in the
factory here compare favorably with any
other factory in the State. To-day the
blowers and gatherers presented the follow
ing scale to the management of the plant
which fixes price on their work before
it reaches the cutters room:
Single Strength-To be cut 4Ox60 scale 10
cents per roller for blowing. Gatherer to
h
blower.
Double strength-First place, Il 2-3 cents
per roller; second place SO 1-3 cents per
Double Strengthen lights to box, 1872
cents per roller eight lights to box, 1874
cents; six lights to box, 80 cents.
Excepting single strength, as in first
item, gatherers are to get 60 per cent for
eight an and It ten 1,a lights to box box and 574 per
paid at straight list. Rollers to be con-
verted in factory when cracked open. The
above scale applies only to blowers and
A critical examination of this scale by
competent judges shows that single
from $105 and $135 TO $144 per month. Dou-
ble-Strength blowers in the first-class
would get $500 per month Whereas S91s res s they
present scale. In the second-clasS doube-
strength blowers would be raised from $175
and $225 to $3.50 per month. For these two
trades the scale demanded means a raise
of fully 20 per cent. above that now in
operation.
The management of the plant refused to
accept the terms and the men walked out
thus forcing the cutters and f1atteners to go
out. The wage scale for the present fire
has been agreed to long ago by the wage
committee of the Glass-workers' Associa-
ton and the manufacturers and this action
in demanding an increase before the close
of the period covered by the contracts is
regarded as violation of faith and is con-
demned by many members OF the associa--
will be made in all glass factories in the
State and result in an early closing of
window glass houses. There is we'll
founded belief prevalent here that the ac-
ton of the blowers and gatherers in de-
manding the scale referred to above forms
the ground plan of the demands they will
make in settling the next wage scale.
At midnight the striking glass workers
decided to make it permanent strike The
demands for new schedule were fatty
refused The fires were put out tonight
for the year. Indications are that this state
of affairs will spread throughout the en-
tire country.