The Worcester spy. [volume] (Worcester, Mass.) 1898-1904, 1899-09-03

per cent were won by the employers:
J that is, failed.
The remainder, 1L2S per cent, were
drawn battles, the strikers succeeding
partially. 1t will, therefore be seer
that the strikers have just a shadow
| OF better chance to win any strike
/ that they may undertake than the en-
ployer, but that fewer than half of the
strikes are won, so that the game OF
striking is as clean cut a piece OF
| gambling as one would wish.
1t is more serious thing than either
striker or employer imagines to en-
gage in one of these industrial battles
1t is, indeed, almost as expensive in
| money, and sometimes quite as expen-
| SlVe IN killed and wounded as latter
day war.
| In this respect the statistics for 8;
years are hardly short of appalling
Ihey show that the employees effected
| oy strikes and lockouts lost on account
OF their ldleness the vast sum of near
ly 90,O00,O00 in wages. During these
years labor unions and other organiza-
| lions, which had accumulated surpIuses
| during years of industrial peace, spent
more than $1S000,000 in the relief OF
suffering strikers and their families.
In other words, it cost the strikers OF
the United States more than $20S, 800 600
| 10 take part in the strikes of SO years.
During the same period of time, the
loss to employers from strikes and lock.
outs was nearly $95, 000, 900. 1t will thus
be seen that during these SO years the
strikers lost more than 50 for every 81
OF loss by the employers.
There being a strike, a man who
guessing as to its cause, should say thai
the employees had demanded an in
crease of wages would stand one
chance in four of being correct. Thai
is, statistics of the labor bureau show
that % per cent of the strikes are
caused by a demand for increase il
wages.
About one-eighth of the strikes. or 1;
/ per cent, are caused by a demand 70,
reduction of hours; 66 per cent repre-.
sent a demand both for increased
wages and reduction of hours, 3.3;
per cent represent a demand for a new
scale, and 2.S per cent repre-.
sent a demand for the recognition
OF the union to which the mer
belong. 1t will be seen, there
lore, taking all of these different per.
centageS and adding them together
That 5433 per cent, or more than hal,
of the strikes, We're caused by positive
and aggressive demands on the part O.
the strikers themselves.
In all of these, cases the EMPLOYERS
apparently, We're willing that condi
tlons should be unchanged, that tn,
strikers should go on with their worl
as they had been doing in the past
whereas, the strikers, owing to i'm
| proved times or for some other cause
had concluded that the old condition,
could no longer prevail, and had appar
emily failed in their efforts to remedy
them by any other means than by
! strike.
| On the other hand, statistics show
that a considerable number of strikes
are the result of some change on tn,
part of the employer to which the work
men will not agree. For instance,
per cent of the strikes for seven years
according to statistics gathered by Mr.
Wright, were brought about by an at
tempt on the part of the employer t.
reduce wages, and 3.6 per cent. wer,
| brought about by an attempt of the EN-
ployers to introduce non-union men il
| their factories or on their railroads. 4
| third class of strikes, in which the rela,
lions of employer and employee would
seem to be congenial, is that in which
the men go out owing to sympathy TO
strikers in some allied trade.
The sympathy strikes during the sew
en- years are put down as 7.73 per cent
of the whole. They are the result of tn
| remarkable organizations of working
men in unions, movement which ha4
been a marked feature of industrial
conditions during the last 20 years.
Equally interesting and INSTRUCTIVE
statistics have been gathered as to tn
settlements of strikes, and they SHOW
one thing upon which the American
workingman and his employer are mucl
to be congratulated. They show tina
both of the parties to the controvers!
have at heart a feeling of frank friend
ship and mutual approval.
They would much rather discuss thei
grievances openly than to go to the dir,
measures of TIE extended strike, or tt
bother with arbitration commissions c.
to fight "scabs." They show that NOR,
than one half of the strikes are settled
by direct arrangement between the par
ties interested. and that only about on
| twentieth are settled by arbitration.