The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1898-01-06
OPERATIVES WILL RESIST.
Strike to Follow Cut Down in New
Bedford.
THE SPINNER'S UNION UNANIMOUS
FOR A FIGHT.

Every Member Present at Meeting Last
| Evening Voted in Favor of Resistance
Gard and Splnners' Association Take
Similar Action-Fall River Unions
Proffer Help.
New Bedford, Mass, January 5.-The
Spinners' Union voted to resist the cut
down by q strike. The meeting was held
in City hall and over 500 spinners attend
ed.
An informal ballot was taken on the
question Of whether the union should re-
sst the cut down aud the vote was unani.
mously in favor of resisting.
The union members in this city number
$50 steady spinners, 100 spare spinners,
and $50 doffers The meeting was attend
ed by both spinners and doffers. At the
outset Secretary Ross offered sugges-
tion to the meeting as to the advisability
of postponing taking action i'll the mat
ter OF the reduction until spring or un
til the feeling of the ether unions could
be got at, but the proposition did not
take with the spinners at all and the
meeting said "No" almost as one voice,
to any postponement of acting on the
resolution.
The general sentiment was expressed
that the weavers and card and picker
and it was not necessary to wait to
wait to find out what action the other
unions would take.
Then came the matter of the reduction
and an informal ballot was taken on
whether to accept or resist the cut down.
Every man in the hall voted in favor
of resisting the cut down. The informal
ballot was not made formal and it was
decided to wait few days to see If any
way of affecting settlement was pos
sible, In this conn ection it was voted to
appoint committee of seven members,
one from each corporation, as commit
tee to confer with the manufacturers II
the latter desire to meet the COMMITTEES
The committee will make no proposit-
ion to the manufacturers but will listen
to $ any reasons the latter may otter for
making the reduction. This committed
will consist of the secretary and president
of the spinners' union and i've others.
"A
appointed by the union to confer with
committees from the other labor unions
In the city III case of q strike to arrange
for tho management of the strike that the
operatives may work harmoniously ana
more successfully in their resistance.
Samuel Ross of the local sp1nners' union,
who is also secretary of the National Mule
Spinners' union, will call a meeting OF
the executive council of the National
union to be held in boston next Sunday,
when the gu stion of sanction1ng Strike
by the spinners in this city Will be set
tied. A general meeting of the local
spinners' union will be called for next
Monday evening in City hall, when the
proceedings of the national executive
council will be made and then formal
action Will be taken by ballot of the
union.
1t was stated that the strike will not
begin until January IL, Wnen tne fedGc-
tion goes into effect.
The executive committee of the card
and picker room association met this
evening and took an informal ballot
which resulted in voting to recommend
to general mass meeting to be called
for next Tuesday evening in Spinners'
hail. strike.
90 to Fall River on Sunday to confer
with the card room union officers there
about proffered aid in case of strike.
The association has received q coinnuni-
cation from Fall River which pro1fers
aid to the local association in case of q
strike. The number Of executive commit
tee was increased from eight to 20 MEM
bers, The card and picker room assocla-
tion at the present time is composed of
Tretween $50 and 400 members i'll good
stars ding. Nearly all these members are
snae6ssr tenders and are claSsed as skllfeu
- The mem bers have been coming
in verv yapidly during the last three
tm ,neo,1s overN l50 have joined the sssocia-
ticn.