Butler citizen. [volume] (Butler, Pa.) 1877-1922, 1900-01-25
Printers Strike Still On.
BUTLER. PA, Jan. 20. 1g

BUTLER PA, Jan. 20, 1900.
EDITOR ZEN:-During the past
week the strike of the Pittsburg print
ers' organization, known as Typograph-
ical Union No. 7, has received consider
able attention in this vicinity, and as
there exists a general misconception re-
gccrding the business of the unions po-
sition, re deem it advisable to publish
statement in explanation of the ques-
tions at issue.
Some time ago the proprietOrs of the
Pittsburg English newspapers formed
an organization among themselves
known as the Newspaper Publishers
Association of Pittsburg. and composed
of The Post, Times, Commercial Ga
zette, Leader, Press, Chronicle Tele-
graph and News This combination or
trust refused to sign the new scale of
wages submitted by the Typographical
Union last month, and the printers
came out on strike rather than be thrust
ont. They were supplanted by non
union men obtained in Eastern cities
and elsewhere. In labor circles such
men are termed 'scabs, rats riff
raft, etc, and the papers on which they
work are euphoniously denominated
''scab newspapers.
The printers scale, as originally pre-
sented, contained clause affecting Du-
quesne Council No 1879, composed of
seven machine tenders men who keep
the typesetting machines in proper
working order These machine tenders
presented request last summer to be
admitted to membership in the Inter
national Typographical Union, and
when the opportunity was granted the
Pittsburg machinists refused to join the
local union, not for the reason that they
were already organized but because
they insisted upon working seven days
in the week at 50 90 per day-Sunday
and every day-and were not satisfied
with the scriptural injunction six
days shalt thou labor etc. Therein
lies the cause of the machinists' obiec-
tion to becoming members of Typo
graphical Union No. 7, notwithstanding
that the machinists in nearly every
other city in the country had united
themselves with the typos Their un-
christian greed for the almighty dollar
forms the basis for their treacherous
opposition to the printers union
However, the Publishers Association
objected to the new scale, and Typo
graphical Union No. waived all refer
SiANS w tht IAltSt ClduSG anu agreed
to submit the remainder of the scale to
arbitration, an alternative also rejected
by the publishers. The new scale, for
which the union printers are now con
tending, thus resolves itself into the
following:
An increase of five cents per hour for
the printers and a reduction of half an
hour in the working time.
Recognition of the proof-readers as
union men, ali increase of their salary
and a reduction of half an hour in the
working time
All machinists employed in taking
care of the typesetting machines to be-
come members of Pittsburg Typograph-
ical Union No. T.
The action of the printers has been
endorsed by over 200 labor organiza- !
tions within a radius of $50 miles of
Pittsburg The weekly papers of thi. |
Publishers Association have been en-
on the field of the local coun- ,
ty papers, without publishing much
news of particular interest hereabouts.
and in this connection the people of this
section can exercise their good judg-
ment with considerable benefit to our
county publications. TYPO.