The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1898-12-15
100 MEN QUIT WORK.
STRIKE ON AT THE CHAS. H.
.SlEG MANUFACTURING co.
STRIKERS ISSUE AN ADDRESS.
Say They Have Been Forced TO Strike On
Account of Not Receiving Living
Wages.-Mr. Sieg opens
Books for Inspection.


+ Labor circles are in a ferment again
land this morning hundred idle men
| swinging their dinner buckets walked
down Main street. The cause of this
procession of working men was strike
at the Charles 81. Sieg Manufacturing
Co., and shortly after eight O'Clock
this morning the entire force of en-
lployees, with the exception of two
linen, walked out and now refuse to
return to work until the old scale OF
wages is restored. The men claim
that the trouble arose over a cut in
wages made several weeks ago, and
that they had agreed to work under
the cut until business was better. At
the pay day Tuesday evening the
wages were further reduced, and the
men refused to accept the cut and quit
work this morning.
They at once went to Foresters' hall
where mass meeting was held, and
plans formulated for continuing the
strike until their demands were acceGed
| to. -t 1855
While the force of men was greatly
reduced, the plant has not yet closed
down, and men are being hired to take
the strikers places.
The strike IS not one of union or
non union men, but one of all the
employees of the factory, and the Trade
Council and Polishers' Union are pro-
tecting the interests of the men. Hugh
Reid, of the Labor Herald, and Claude
Harris, president of the Polishers'
Union, were with the strikers most of
the morning advising them as to their
movements. 81
An Address From the Strikers.
The strikers, in their mass meeting,
appointed committee which formulat-
ed the following address to the public
and we publish it at their request:
There always are two sides TO story
and the present trouble at the Sieg
factory is not an exception to this rule.
We, the committee, appointed by the
striking employees of the Chas. Fl. Sieg
Mfg Co., hereby respectfully present
the following as our side of the ques-
ton and leave the decision to the citi-
zens of Kenosha: 21". "f%ss-@ -@A5.
Last fall Mr. Week, then superin-
tendent of the factory, set the price of
wages to.polishers at 221 per hour and
promised them 25 cents per hour as
soon as business conditions improved.
When Mr.. Marsh assumed the man
agement he hired four polishers ana
when pay day came paid them at the
rate of 20 cents per hour and one at
the rate of III per hour without notify
ing them of the cut. Upon presenting
their grievance to Mr.. Marsh he stated
be intended to pay the men according
to their worth, whereupon one of the
men who drew 20 cents per hour
turned to his foreman and asked, " Am
L worth Is cents an hour?" Mr..
Marsh stated that the foreman had
nothing to do with it and would not
allow the foreman to express his opin-
ion. Mr.. Marsh claimed the union
men were trying to run the place and
that on Thursday he would make
prices and the men could stay or get
out" He further stated that he had
mot come to Kenosha to starve any
body, but the {" married men had bet
ter look out" ....--..
Tuesday evening two of the polishers
desired to get off at O'clock, as they
had business they desired to transact.
Their foreman was notified and no OBJ
lection was made. While the men
were passing out, Mr.. Marsh entered
the machine room and said, You had
better put your time in at the Office
and they would get their pay in the
morning" The men stated they were
not quitting, but had business to attend
to and had intended to get off in the
morning. Mr.. Marsh said they laid of;
without his permission and they had
better quit. One of the men asked if
they were discharged. he replied,
g Yes; you are" o.sa.
The bicycle workers accepted the
cut made by Mr.. Week, with the un-
derstanding that the cut would be re-
stored when business improved. They
worked two weeks and were paid below
the cut Mr.. Week made, without being
notified, some of them being cut from
% to so cents per day. =
A committee was appointed and
waited upon Mr.. Marsh, who stated
that he regulated the prices and if they
did not like it they could get out. 4"
The men told Mr.. Marsh they under
stood he had come to the Sieg factory
with the express purpose of taking
bread out of their mouths. Mr.. Marsh
stated that he made prices and they
"must co." and that the union could
not run the shopin no shape or manner
and would hire, men in case of strike
| to keep the union men away from the