The labor world. [volume] (Duluth, Minn.) 1896-current, 1902-05-03

There have been no new develop
ments In the tug firemen's strike this
week. Both sides are firm and it looks
very much as If it will resolve itself
in a war to the bitter end. It's fight
between labor and the trust, with the
trust thoroughly united and labor
divided. The firemen are in good shape,
but they are getting very poor sup
port from the other organizations with
whose members they are obliged to
work. If a proper organization existed
at this time, an injury to one would
be the concern of all. Archie Valiquet,
the grand president of the firemen,
issued a strong bulletin to the union
this week. 1t assured the members Of
success in the end.
President John McCaffrey, of the
local organization, has been very re-
luctant about getting into the press
every day, and has conducted the
strike here with credit to himself and
Organization. He gave out the fol-
lowing interview yesterday which
shows what kind Of a leader he really
is:
"A great many people are criticising
the union for not accepting the COM
promise proposition Of Assistant Man.
ager Hill, of the tug trust. The wage
scale proposition in that compromise
was not all to be considered. Another
provision was, that our men should
not go on strike where another port
struck for an increase in wages during
the season, and that our members
must agree not to make known the
amount paid them to anybody. This
was the Objectionable feature of the
compromise that we could not in honor
to ourselves accept. We knew that it
would be impossible to bind all the
to keep any such agreement.
II have not said very much for pub
lication during this strike. I believed
that we were so strongly in the right
that 1t was unnecessary to bore the
public with lot of talk.
Sixty dollars month in the fire
hold of tug is not too much to ask
for.
tedious. There are two Of us on every
boat, each taking watch about either
on the line or in the hold. When we
are out We work the entire twenty-four
hours of the day. and catch whatever
time we can get to sleep at the dock.
We only work certain months In the
year. anu We 1tvee
the months that we do not work. It
is no easy matter to secure work after
navigation closes. All Of the good win
ter jobs are taken up by that time If
the tug trust would pay us the wages
we ask it would be no hardship. They
have complete control of the situation
here. They have eliminated competi-
ton in their line of work, and CON-
mand whatever prices they see fit. They
bank on fair dividends every year, and
there ought not be any reason why
they should refuse fair wages to the
men who do the hardest work for them.
At the request of the company two
policemen have been placed on the
dock. This is an unnecessary expense
to put the city to. I wish to inform
Manager Inman and Chief Engineer
Ryan that our men do not intend to
win this strike on their muscle. We
have been peaceable from the begin
ming, and no matter how much we are
and whatever the result
may be, we want to come out of it
our self respect.
II have implicit confidence in our
cause and sincerely believe that we will
win. Our men are standing firm, and
have no desire to break until an
agreement is reached The trust may
secure men to take our places, but our
experience is that the men who take
Jobs during strikes are usually too. in
to work under fair condi-
tions. It will not be profitable for the
trust to put in the season with them"