The Republican journal., 1899-08-03
Labor Trouble in Belfast.

The first serious labor trouble in the his
tory of Belfast occurred the past week be-
tween the shoe manufacturing firm OF
Critchett, Sibley & Co. and their employees.
Last Saturday the firm posted in the various
rooms of the factory new schedule of
prices of labor together with the following
| notice.
| 10 OUR EMPLOYEES:
No material changes have been made in
your wages for five years. During this time
| nearly all the shoe manufacturers nave made
large reductions i'll the prices paid their help.
| We find now that we cannot successfully
compete with other manufacturers on the
basis of our present prices for labor. We
are compelled to adjust the labor expense
OF our shoes to the surrounding conditions.
We alone cannot sustain the wages of the
shoe workers. We must be governed largely
by the prices which others pay. In making
this reduction in prices at this time we have
endeavored to more nearly equallze the
earnings of workers on various parts. We
have taken the earnings Of the lasters as a
| comparative standard for adjustment of
other earnings.
We expect to be able to give you full en-
poyment at the new prices. Do you realize
how much steadier your work is through
| the year than most shoe workers in New
England7 The large amount OF shoes which
| have been made in our factory for the past
| season illustrates to you that you earn large
wages compared with any other employ
ment hereabouts continuing steadily through
| the year. when you have full volume of
shoes to work on With the changes which
we are making in prices and in other respects
| we are confident we can keep the factory
full of work, and this will be better for you
even at slight reduction OF prices than to
work but part OF the tlme at more price.
| Trusting that the changes which we are now
compelled to make will result as we think
| they will to the material benefit of yourselves
and of our community as compared with
what might occur if we allowed your wages
to remain they are, we remain, your
friends and employers.
CR1TcHETT, SIBLEY & Co.
The new scale of prices made somewhat
different reductions on different classes Of
work quite number remained unchanged,
and few who were receiving small pay
were slightly increased. The earnings of the
piece workers of course varies from week to
week, and on some reductions would amount
to 80 cents per day. The same proportionate
reduction was made to those who work by
the day.
Immediately after the notices were posted
chose a committee, one member from each
the reduction, but to go out when the cases
then in hand were finished. Monday fore
noon most of the crew went out. Monday
evening a meeting of the employees was held
in Odd Fellows Hall and it was decided not
to return TO work until the old prices were
restored. Tuesday the committee met the
firm, and held conference, at which the
| g
5 per cent. At a second meeting, held
Tuesday evening, the employees decided to
adhere to their former decision and to insist
upon the former scale of wages. Confer
ences were held again Wednesday between
the committee and the firm and when The
Journal went to press no agreement had
been reached.
The firm sends The Journal he following
statement of the case:
| To THE EDITOR OF THE REPUBLICAN JOUR
NAL The local public may expect to see
something in this issue of The journal W th
regard to the dlsatfection among the em.
piOyes at our factory which has been appar-
ent this week. 1t should not be forgotten
} at any time that our business is strictly a
private business and the public at large have
no more right to inquire into 1t or to Critlcise
its management than they have to do so to
the affairs of any merchant doing business
on Main street or any other business in our
city. Nevertheless the acknowledged i'm
portance of the industry through the cash
payments for labor is so great to the
welfare Of our city the citizens may
be pardoned for keeping an anxious watch
over the ebb and flow of the business, and
We feel justified in letting them into oul
confidence so much as to allow you to pub
lish the circular letter which st tes ouI
| honest a in
the pay of our employees and the fair and
impartial method of adjustment which we
} have adopted. 1t is impossible to state at
this writing what this reduction will amount
toin per cent. bat we know it is less than
per cent of our pay roll, not 10 per cent. as
is stated by correspondent of an out OF
town paper, who also styles it a "big cut in
prices" Do you think this 'big cut?" Did
you ever hear of a smaller cut? If any
necessity ever arises IN business houses for q
reduction of wages are smaller reductions
frequently made?
We are pleased TO record that the deport
ment of our employees during this period OF
absence from their accustomed places in oul
factory has been quiet, orderly and respect
l full to their employers. Their committee
has had number of long sessions with us
and we confident they have much bet
ter and more charitable Judgment to the
necessity of the reduction and the fairness
of its application than they had before meet
vey to all the employees the same in
formation as to equities which their com
mittee have received. We onlyiask for our
selves that the interested public will give us
the credit of being honest in our statements
and will not credit all the cock and bull
stories which we hear are il circulation,
CRITCHETT SIBLEY & Co.
, A representative of The Journal had al
interview Wednesday afternoon with the
chairman of the committee, who in addition
to the history of the case as recited above
stated that many of the employees were
:, working for as low wages as they coulC
possibly live on. That wages here al
low or lower than in other places similarly
situated, and that they do not think the
condition of the business at present calls fo
the reduction. Factories in other places are
. increasing their help and their rate of wages
! and this factory is and has been doing {
large business, and has large orders OF
f hand The committee speak in the highes
: teams of their treatment by the firm at thu
a various conferences, and the disposition OF
a the part of the mem bers to treat with then
4 fairly and candidly.