The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1902-09-03

PRINTERS
SITUATION.
How a Private Difficulty
Has Become a Public
Matter.
MASS MEETING
At the Armory. Speeches Per
tanning to the Difficulty in
the Argus Office. State
ments of Both Sides.

Following is a summary Of the claims
made by the parties concerned in the
difficulty between the Argus and Patriot
Company and some of its employees:
The Montpelier Typographical Union
No. 1874, IN a communication in the Barre
Telegram on Tuesday claim that for years
the condition under which printers, male
and female, have worked in that office
were wrong, long hours and small pay
being the rule; that during the past two
years the local printers have been trying
to improve this condition, but without
success; that in May last the employing
printers were induced to put the nine-hour
day into effect on July L; that last week
two typesetting machines were installed in
the Argus office but instead of employing
its hand compositors to operate the ma
chimes, as is customary in other places,
their union employees were told that if they
would repudiate the union they would be
given a chance to operate the machines.
The union holds that this was an at
tempt to break up the union and as the
union employees in question refused to de-
part from the union, non-union outsiders
were procured to operate the machines.
and the union compositors were given two
weeks notice that their services would be
no longer required.
The union Compositors in the news
paper department went out at once rather
than work the two weeks notice and
thereby give the non-union people chance
to familarize themselves with the work.
The Argus and Patriot company, pre-
senting its side of the question, says
That for about fifty years the Argus Office
has been doing business in Montpelier,
never had any difficulties with its en-
ployes, paid good wages and paid them
regularly; that on Monday morning seven
employees, who were under agreement
not to strike without giving three months
notice or leave without two weeks notice
failed to return to work and have not
since returned; that these employees had
not presented any requests or made any
demands upon the office, but selected a
time for leaving when their services were
most needed and the Office would be most
injured by their leaving The Argus then
reviews the demands made by the union
last May, and the agreement entered into,
signed by all parties concerned, which is
as follows:
We, the undersigned officers of Mont
pelier Typographical Union No. 3S4, rep
resenting the employees of the Argus and
Patriot Co., the Vermont Waterman Co.
and the Union Card Co., of Montpelier
| VT, parties of the first part and the said
Argus and Patriot Co.. the Vermont
Waterman Co. and the Union Card Co.,
parties of the second part, mutually agree:
That if the said employees of the said
| Argus and Patriot Co, the Vermont
Waterman Co. and the Union Card Co.,
faithfully observe the rules and regula-
tons that shall be made for the manage
ment of the said Argus and Patriot Co.'s
the Vermont Waterman Co.'S, and the
Union Card Co.'S business-which rules
and regulations shall conform to those of
well regulated offices in Massachusetts or
elsewhere-untl July l, 1902, at that time
the said Argus and Patriot Co., the Yer
mont Waterman Co. and the Union Card
Co., will grant the said employees a nine
hour day-so called-with the wages hith-
erto paid for ten hours, which arrange
ments shall continue so long as the rules
and regulations are observed to the salts
faction of the Argus and Patriot Co., the
Vermont Waterman Co., and the Union
Card Co., by their employees. 1t is hereby
agreed further that the Argus and Patriot
! Co., the Vermont Waterman Co. and the
Union Card Co., shall have three months
notice of any additional demands by said
employees.
Dean w. Edison, President NJ. T. U 1874
John Ryan, Secretary NJ. T. L. 3S4.
Henry McMahon, representing lnterna-
tional Typographical Union.
Immediately thereafter there were
drawn up and posted in conspicuous
places in the Argus office set of regnla-
tons based on a copy of Massachusetts,
office regulations, sent here by Henry
Mcmahon, which contained this provision
Regular employees must give two weeks
notice of intention to leave the employ of
the company The office will give the
same notice of discharge except for cause.
The Argus explains that the type setting
machines have been in the office for
a month awaiting a man from the factory
TO set them up, that the compositors knew
of the machines but never intmated that
they desired a chance to operate them;
that the makers of the machines advise
young hands, unfamiliar with typesetting
to operate the machines, as they make the
best operators, for that reason four yonng
girls were engaged, who began work last
+ riday morning; the six compositors were
given their notices on Saturday night,
but quit work without a moments notice
and with them went the "make-up" man
who had received no notice; that the
district organizer Mcmahon demanded
that the old hands be taken back and
given places on the machines, and the
non-union new hands be discharged,
The Argus maintains that it has kept