The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1899-08-14
I" LADOR'S
........FIEaaD

The differences existing in labor circles
over the action of local union No. 30, 1. G.
u, of Milwaukee, Wis, in boycotting the
amber fluid manufactured by a brewing
company of that city, are not confined to
the labor organizations of Milwaukee by
any means. Although No. 30's action was
Endorsed by the Coopers' International
union, Milwaukee Federated Trades
council, Milwaukee Trades Union Label
league and the Allied Printing Trades
council, nevertheless the cOopers evident
1y overlooked one important factor when
they placed the boycott, and one that, I'M
less an amicabIe settlement is soon reached
between the company and themselves, is
liable to cause trouble and may split Or
gained labor into fragments. The circu-
lar emanating from the coopers' union,
of Milwaukee, placing a boycott on the
company's product and sent to every
central labor body and labor organization
in the United States, was dated July q,
1899. AS it had the Endorsement of the
international Coopers union and the fed
Grated bodies of Milwaukee, it speedily
met with the sanction of nearly every
labor union in receipt of the same. The
Trades and Labor council, of Mime
apolis, the Trades and Labor assembly,
of st. Paul and about every organiza-
ton in the Twin Cities cheerfully ac-
and as cheerfully, and in almost every
instance by a unanimous vote, pledged
themselves to give the product of the
Milwaukee company a wide berth. Later,
a circular from the National Union of the
United Brewery Workers of the United
States, dated Cincinnati, O., July 80, 1899,
was received by the Twin City trades
unions, denouncing the coopers union
of the Beer City for its attempt to place
the DrpNinC M
and calling upon organized labor to pay
no attention to the unjust request of the
Milwaukee cOOperS for a boycott against
said company" The circular also stated
that IF a weapon like the boycott is
used in such a careless manner 1t will
prove detrimental not only to the coop
erS, but also to the entire trade union
movement. - There was just nine days
difference between the issuance of the
circulars of the two national organiza-
tons, but the interval has proved suffi-
Gent to make it very unpleasant for the
trades unions who indorsed the contents
of the first. The cOopers are anxious to
secure immediate action favorable to
the boycott, while the brewery workers
are as equally determined to have the
matter postponed until the executive
board of the American Federation of La
Dor reports President Gompers, of the
federation, is said to be decidedly against
the boycott as we'll as Thomas I. Kidd,
president of the Amalgamated Wood
workers organization and sixth vice
president of the American Federation of
Labor. Many of the local unions have
already recOnsidered their former action
and are holding the further consideration
of the difficulty in allegiance In the
meantime others are wondering where
they are at" If they vote to indorse the
boycott Instituted by the coopers they
are certain to gain the ill-wiU Of the
brewery workers; If they don't indorse
the boycott they are in danger of losing
the friendship of the coopers, and there
you are"