The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1902-04-20

MANY MILLIONS OF DOLLARS
COST TO LABORERS, UNIONS AND
OWNERS OF FACTORIES.
History of Labor Agitation i'm the
United States-New York Bakers
COnspired in 1s41.

The sixteenth annual report Of Carroll
y. Wright, United States labor commission
er, has just come from the press. The re-
port is on Strikes and Lockouts' and is
perhaps the most interesting volume ever
issued by the Department of Labor. Ii
gives in statistical detail the number OF
strikes and lockouts. the establishments
and employees affected and the loss in
money to labOrers and employers for the
years beginning with 1881 and concluding
with 1900. The report shows that during
this period there were 22,793 strikes. az
fecting IL, 500 establishments and throwing
out of employment 6,105,6 e4 employees. or
this number 30 per cent. were men and 10
per cent. women. The loss in wages 10
these employees was S257, sos. AIS, besides Sl6.-
ia. 1893 labor organizations expended in
maintaining the strikes. and the loss TO
employers was Sl22, 73l. 12l. In the same
period there were L,OO5 lockouts, affecting
1888 establishments and throwing 504. 27
employees out of work, S0.24 per cent. Of
whom were men and 1916 per cent. women.
The loss TO employees on account of lock-
outs was $4S.Sl9. 745, not including $.451. 46l
in benefits from labor organizations, and
the loss to employers was 49, 27. SS3.
OF the strikes covered in the period by
the report Indiana had but So. affecting
1854 establishments and throwing 1884
employees out Of work. The number OF
lockouts in the State was but 10. affecting
152 establishments and making idle 2.4S2 en-
ployes.
OF the total number Of strikes 5o.U per
cent. were successful, 1904 partially sue
cessful and 36.19 per cent. failed. OF lock-
outs, 5O.79 per cent. were successful, 6-2S
were partially successful and 1888 failed.
Labor organizations ordered 1857 OF the
strikes, and succeeded in 52.S6 per cent,
partially succeeded in 1850 per cent. and
failed in 1854 per cent. Strikes that were
not ordered by labor organizations number
S.326-35.56 per cent. being successful. sos
per cent. partially successful and 55.59 fail
ures. OF the total number of strikes 35.O2
per cent. of the employees were affected in
successful strikes. 1912 per cent. in par
tally successful
in strikes that failed.
The leading causes of the strikes in the
twenty-year period, in percentages, follow:
Increase in wages. $50; increase in wages
and reduction OF hours, u2S; reduction OF
hours, IL16; against reduction OF wages,
III; i'm sympathy with other strikes, 3.47;
against employment of %nonunion men, 2.34;
adoption Of new scale, 2.33; recognition OF
the union, Lao; increase ia wages and rec
~ognition of the union, .95; enforcement OF
union rules, 81; adoption Of union scale.
10; reduction Of hours and against being
compelled to board with employer, 20;
against task system, rs; reduction of hours
and against task system, "a; adoption Of
union rules and union scale. rs; reinstate-
ment of discharged employees. IA; increase
in wages, Saturday half holiday and priv
ilege of working for employers not mem
bers of masters association. IS; against
reduction of wages and working overtime,
81; increase in wages and against using
material from nonunion establishments.
"a; increase in wages and Saturday half
holiday, 81; all other causes. 2S.14.
While the report only deals statistically
with strikes and lockouts from 1881 TO 1900.
it mentions all the strikes and lockouts in
this country from the earliest date known.
The first strike OF accurate data and
which is recognized as the first by labor
students. took place among the shoemak-
ers Of Philadelphia in 1896. However. there
seems to have been a strike of Journey
men bakers in New York city in 174l. The
Criminal Court records of New York city
show that information was filed against
these bakers for combining not TO bake
bread except on certain terms. The rec
ords show that they were convicted on a
charge Of conspiracy not 10 bake until
their wages were raised, but it does not
appear that any sentence was passed. After
1896. strikes occurred at various intervals
until 1929. since which time one or more
have been recorded for each year, with the
exception of 1S4l.
The word "scab' originated in 1909, in a
strike of the cordwainers OF New York
city. and as early as 1921 a typographical
society in Albany, N. Y, struck because of
the employment of a rat in one Of the
printing offices.
Genera Labor Notes