The Worcester spy. [volume] (Worcester, Mass.) 1898-1904, 1898-11-11
Shoe w Orkers
In Marlboro
MEAN BUSINESS.
Circulars Issued Are Death
Blow to Union Labor.

Marlboro, Nov 10.-Never before in
this city has there been so much sub
dued excitement as this evening, and
the next few hours may develop one of
the most extensive and bitter strikes
ever known in a New England shoe
city.
Should there be no concessions made
by manufacturers or employees. there
can be no doubt but that the strike win
extend to every New England shoe
manufacturing city, as the attitude as
sumed today by local manufacturers
means a death blow to labor organiza-
tons so far as boot and shoe manufac-
turing employees are concerned.
The initial move was made today
when the Middlesex shoe factory of
Rice & Hutchins opened its doors to re-
ceive the applications for employment
OF boot and shoe workers who are will
ing to work under the new conditions.
The new rules are directly opposed to
labor unions, and state that all price
lists and labor arrangements made he
tween the firm and representatives of
Gay Nov. 9, and that in the future such
price lists would be introduced as would
insure uniform prices and good wages
Inc nrm will not allow any Interior
ence with outside parties, and orders
that any controversies which NAV
arise must be settled by the company
ana the shoe workers individually or
by committees.
| Later in the day the John A Frve
and S. H. Howe Shoe COMPANIES nost-
go similar notices, and the 1000 or more
| employees in the shoe business in this
CITY realized that there was a prob
lem, not to say a fight, before them
which is unparalleled in this city.
Just before the closing up of the Cot
ting avenue shops, tonight, the employ
ees there were electrified by seeing fine
same notice which had apneared in in
other shops throughout the city posted
| in this factory.
The local council Of all the boot and
| shoe workers unions in the CITY held
a meeting tonight, and after a. lengthy
discussion, in Which President Tobin
participated, decided to fight the man
ufacturers to the bitter end.
| The union tonight issued a long state
ment, in which an historical sketch of
| the course of the union in this city dur
ing the past six years is given. The
union managers point out that Mr.
Howe, one of the manufacturers who
| have declared for free shops, ran his
| factory as a union shop, and at the
close stated that the two years had
been the most prosperous since he had
started in business.
! The labor troubles of the spring are
also reviewed as well as the threat
ened lasters strike of last month, in
| sympathy with that at Brockton
| The union managers claim that they
have fulfilled all their agreements, and
that they have never refused to sub
nit any trouble to the state board Of
arbitration. They are even now ready
| to meet the manufacturers on this ba-
| sis, but they are by the action of the
manufacturers denied the opportunity.
The claim is further made that the
| plan of free" shops is a slap at the
agreement of the union, which has sue
ceeded in keeping UP the wages for the
past two or three years, and has STAYED
off reductions from is to 20 per cent.
| To the business men of the city the
managers say that they have in the
past conceded much, but this last ac-
| ton goes too far, and they refuse to
surrender their rights. The contest
will be a long and bitter one, and real
estate and business in this city are sure
to suffer, so that it may be years be-
fore the community will recover from
the blow.