Bridgeton pioneer., 1901-02-14
STRIKE ON AT
THE FERRACUTE.
Men Make Demands Which are
Not Acceded to by the Com
pany, Hence the Strike.

The machinists and die makers of
the Ferracute Machine Company, left
their work this morning and went
upon strike. The company has adj
vertised for men to take their places.
n A representative of the Pioneer
waited on the men and from them he
learned their side of the question.
The strikers demand is for 81 hours
per week with a corresponding in
crease until the Goth of May. None
but union hands of good standing to
be employed After the goth of May
"a hours per week with full weeks
pay.
This is the universal demand all
over the country. The overtime
clause is for time and half time until
10 O'Clock after that double time, Sun
day and legal holidays double time
except in shop machinery and break
downs which will be paid at rate of
time-and-half- time.
Only few machinists are working
this morning. Representative were
present from Union headquarters.
We received the following letter
from the company this morning:
To the Editor of the Pioneer -
Answering your inquiry of yesterday
regarding a rumored strike of our en-
ployees, we write to say that most of
our machinists and makers have,
this morning, entered upon a strike,
without previous notice, because we
will not comply with various demands
which they have made upon us, among
which are 10 per cent. increase in
rate of wages per hour, permanent
employment of men belonging to
labor unions only, etc.
Other demands, such as a shorter
number of hours per week than the
present sixty hours a time-and-a-
half rate for over work after 10 p. m.
and a double-time rate for Sundays
and holidays (both instead of the
present time quarter rate) we
have offered to comply with.
We have also expressed our willing
ness to renew a contract with our en-
ployees, which has been running for
over a year past, limiting the number
of apprentices we should employ,
cents per hour; limiting the possible
number of evenings of over work, etc.
In general we can say that we have
no objection to our employees organ
izing into labor unions, AN T. orking
for each others common benefit
Neither have we objection to dealing
with them collectively, rather than
individually. We must, however, re-
serve the right to also deal with other
men who do not choose to belong to
these unions, and, in general, to run
our business and make contracts in
accordance with our own knowledge
of it's demands We should be glad
to see shorter hours and higher wages
throughout the country at such time
as it can be practically accomplished
and become universal, or nearly so.
AS we have repeatedly told our en-
ployees, however, we cannot afford to
pay 10 per cent more for labor, unless
the majority of other manufacturer
throughout the country, including our
immediate competitors, do the same,
especially as last year was a very dull
one in our line of business, and profits
were proportionately small. Were
it possible to get better prices for our
products, in common with other manu-
facturers of the same, we should be
only too glad too give the machinists
a part of the benefit thereof.
Ferracute Machine Company,
Per Oberlin Smith President.