Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1900-09-15
weavers on a strike.

the weaving department o. the Crawford
~ oO.on Mills struck for higher wages
Friday afternoon and refused to return
to work until their request are granted
There are forty weayers in the depart
ment. About eigh, Of them were n, t
working at the time Of the strike. but il is
believed they are in sympathy with the
strikers
The company of strickers is composed
Of both male and female laborers. con-
shutting all bur Two Of the employees of
that department Of the indus ry. The
other rwo-W H. Boden and Nolan
Wes.-did not Join the strikers and con
tinued tleir work The latter did not re
turn TO work this morning, however, con-
sequenily Mr.. Boden was the only one at
work in the weaving department Saturday.
The direct cause of the strike. accord
ing to the statements of the striking en-
ployes. is a set OF rules, consisting Of
eighteen different fines Tor defective work.
The fines are small bur the strikers claim
that they will eat up the bulk of their
wages. Therefore they de,ded TO make
a demand Of a half a cent per yard increase
intheir v ages. They have been gett ng 4 Ia
cents per yard for the gray goods and )
cents toI the black goods,
he i've new rules were hung up IN the
mill the first of the week aud as soon as
the employees saw them they were dis
! pleased and al once considered the ques-
ton OF making demand for an increase
IN their wages, They did not get them
all together until Friday at noon, when
all who were working, except the above
named two, agreed not TO return until
they had been given the increase.
President Crawford was IN New York
at the time and Superintendent Dunn in
Bruce own, A committee Of two was
appointed to wait on the officers OF the
company and represent the laborers and
when Mr.. Dunn returned at $50 O'Clock
| the committee met him.
Mr.. Dunn informed them that he could
do nothing and asked them to return 10
work IN the meantime, but this they re-
fused to do and all of them are idle today
Superintendent Dunn was seen at his
Office Saturday by an Evening World
representative. He said that the wee vers
took the wrong course % get the increase
requested. He said he advised them TO
TUNED, when they could state what they
wanted in writing and he would do all
that he could consistently do to aid them.
Now that they refused to do that, he said
It will be all the more difficult for them TO
secure the increase.
Mr.. Dunn further stated that the strike
will not necessitate the closing down of
the other departments of the mill, as the
department was ahead of the other depart
mcntS in the work. The weavers CAIN
that the weavers at the Cashmere mills
had been granted an increase. but Mr..
Dunn said they had only been granted a
premium of halt cent per yard for per-
feet work, which they had been doing be-
fore the fine rules were put up, since
which they had established il as one Of
the rules
President Crawford telegraphed that he
was very much surprised at the action OF
the weavers and returned Saturday
evening on train No. /.
THE STRIKE is OFF.
The hum of the machinery in the weay-
ing department of the Crawford Wooden
Mills. silent for day and half on ac-
count OF the strike of the employees of the
department, is again heard, and the weav-
ers are back at their posts, working as be-
fore the beginning of the strike.
The weaverS did not get what they ask
ed for-an increase of half cent per
yard in their wages-but they and the fac
tory officials came to an understanding by
which everything is satisfactorily arrang-
ed. President Crawford. who hurried
home from New York on account of the
strike, met the striking weavers at the
mill Monday morning before time for be-
ginning work. He explained the rules,
which caused the dissatisfaction among
the employees, and told them that they
we're not established for the purpose of
cutting down their wages but to make
them more careful in their work Mr..
Crawford told the employees that all who
wanted to should go back to work this
morning and at the end of the month, af-
ter the eighteen fine rules had been given
fair trial. he would talk to them about
heir wages. They were then told that
all who were not willing to return to work
under those conditions should send in
their designations and they would be given
the wages due them
All ol the WedNerS seemed 10 De SatlS-
ned with the confer .nce with President
Crawford and Superintendent Dunn and
they returned to work when the factory
started into operation this morning. 1t
seems TO be the disposition of the factory
officials to treat them fairly and if they re-
ciprocate the treatment received at the
hands of the officials and work satisfac-
torily under the new rules. they will prob
ably get the increase at the end of the
month.
NicfarinuS In She nhardSfaxNu