Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1903-10-01
WILL THEY STRIKE?
Trouble at the HolIingsworth &
Whitney Mills, Winslow.
The Union Firemen, Sc Strong, Leave
Their Jobs.
They Expect the 1000 Other Employees
to Support Thorn.

Waterville, Me-, Sept. 30.-(SpeciaD.-
The trouble that has been brewing in
the fire room of the HOllingsWorth &
Whitney Co. for the past week or 10
days eliminated, Wednesday, when all
the union firemen, some SO, it is said
walked out at O'Clock in the morning.
The men say that they notified the
company. Tuesday noon, that unless
the union firemen who had been dis
! charged were reinstated before
| Wednesday morning, this action would
be taken and as the union men We're
not taken back during that time the
promise to walk out was kept.
The men claim that they are striking
simply for recognition of their union
which has just been organized in the
mill by George p Dorr the interna-
tional 7th vice president. They claim
that some OF the firemen have been
discharged simply for joining the
union and that the others have walked
out III an effort to have the union
| recognized by the company by the re-
statement of the men first discharged.
The company had no difficulty in get
ting men enough to tend the fires in
place of the strikers. The union ideas
and principles nave not been so thor
ougnly instilled into the minds of the
working men in this vicinity as in other
places as the unions in all lines OF
work are comparatively recent
''Scabbing Il job does not mean so
much here therefore, as in other places
and there are consequently many men
who are willing to take the jobs left by
the union firemen.
The strikers are apparently relying on
sympathetic strike in other depart
! ments of the mill to win the fight for
them for there seems to be little chance
of their winning alone, as the company
can get men enough to fill their places
The work of organizing the mill has
been in progress for some time past, and
| is believed to have been pretty thor
oughly done. The organization was
carried on Quietly as possible and it
is said that the union was well founded
before the company realized it's pres
ence.
1t is understood that while the COM
pany has not forced the issue by radical
moves before this trouble among the
iirelnen it has not looked with favor on
unions and has desired to keep them
out of the mill as far as possible. But
the union in other departments came
and secured a foothold and, while not
caring particularly for any contest, has
been ready for one whenever there was
what might be considered sufficient
There have hap1
time to time about trouble between the
company and the unions but nothing
has materialized until this trouble in
the fire room. There was considerable
talk along in June. hut nothing came
of it and things have been moving
along as usual at the mill all through
the summer.
When there has been any talk of
labor troubles at the mill in times past
people outside have marvelled greatly
that the men should have any griev-
ances against company that treated
its employees so considerably. The
! company has we'll grounded reputa-
ton of using its employees about as well
as any in the country. The wages have
| always been excellent and the men
| have had many things done for their
comport and convenience at consider
able expense to their employers. a
great deal of money has been expended
simply for the benefit of the men and
without any chance of profit to the
company except indirectly. The elegant
club house is an instance of this and a
more recent one the fine concrete side
walk that is just being completed and
| which extends from the mill to the
Winslow end of the Ticonic bridge.
People outside the mill have thought
with good reason that the company has
been continually doing something for
| its mon.
! But when there has been talk of
trouble in the mill it has been heard
that the men wanted double pay for
Sunday work and some extra pay for
night work. The claim has been made
that good workmen have been dis
charged for trivial causes. or at least
what seemed trivial causes to the lhen
| themselves. A number of other little
| things have been cited from time to
time. none of them very important per-
haps. but all apparently irritable to the
men Butlup to the present time the
general strike that would win any
sympathy from the people outside the
mill.
Under these conditions this present
trouble in the fire room has arisen and
the question of sympathetic strike be-
comes paramount. If the firemen can in
duce the other men TO so out in sympathy
with them or for reasons of their OWL
that may be advanced now that it may
seem a favorable time the situation viii
become very serious. The cost of shutting
down the large plant even for one day Is
startling to any not familiar with the
business. On the big paper machines and
seconds are reckoned as the minutes ar
without a profit or loss to the company
Any break in the steady operation OF the
plant means a very serious loss 10 Inc