The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1903-12-20

/ FELT by the employees that consideration
would not be given them. and that the poo
sitions of the complainants would De
J ieopardized.
Strike Three YearseAgo.
/ 1T is well known that about three years
4 ago the dissatisfaction at Winter quar-
l tiers upon the part OF the employees o.
D the company was such that a general
. strike occurred az that place. One of the
/ grievances then was that the amount
paid for mining was insufficient, and the
{ request was for an increase of wages In
/ stead Of an increase. the company re-
/ duced the price of mining coal from %
] cents per ton 20 80 cents per ton IN some
of the mines. Formerly the miners were
paid FOR driving CrOsS-Cuts in the mine "a
Sunnyside. Latterly this compensation
/ has been taken from them. Within the
past year the companies reduced the price
for driving entries in their mines. There
have also been many complaints because
OF the failure of the companies 10 fur-
nish sufficient or proper timbers, rails.
ties. etc. and in requiring the miners 70
perform work not properly Wlthn the
scope OF their employment There nave
also been small and not infreQuent re-
I auctions in the wages Of the employees
until their average monthly earnings nave
not exceeded 500 Numerous statements
have been published pUrpOrting to nave
emanated from the companies showing
earnings greatly ia excess Of the fore
going but we have no hesitancy in say
ing that the figures published are incor-
rect and misleading. The same puDlica-
lions also incorrectly state lne nuIhDeI
of days in which the employees work each
Records Misleading.
This failure results. doubtless from the
I fact that the company records do not
show that work Is performed by the MINI
ers except upon days when coal IS ac-
tualIy sent by them from the mines.
Frequently the miners are engaged lCr
lone or more days each week In breaking
down coal and preparing 20 send IL from
] mines These GaWg not SHOWN OF
counted by the company, notwithstanding
the fact that they are numerous ana also
Ionerous upon the employees JIG IS true
that in some instances where conditions
were favorable in the mine the earnings
IhaVo been comparatively large, OUT an eA-
animation Of the earnings of all the EN-
pIOyes viii show that our position IS cor
rect An impartial Investigation viii snow
that such employees have been cOmpelle 2
TO exercise the most rigid economy anu am.
that il has been difficult 10 support lnctl'-
selves and their families. il viii also De
remem bered that during the past rev
years the prices paid by the employees loI
living expenses have materially increased
So that their condition has been CROWNS
less favorable with the passage OF tne
years. For several years the enpIoE -
have discussed the foregoing and 0lItI
questions so vitality important 10 IheIi,
and have felt that they had Just groV1 l,,s
upon which to predicate 9enanos loi
higher wages and better coHultoiIS il anu
around the mines.
Grievances Submitted
II would not perhaps be profitable, nor
/ is II necessary at this time. 30 point OUT
more clearly why these complaints were
not given greater publicity larry ln ~ 80
[ reruber of this year the employees submit
/ TED to YOU some of the grievances or
which they complain. with view or nav
ing the anne redresseo- In a commune q
: tiOn from you 60 the cQhln!ttge Lepi 49,
inr the employees Of the Utah Fuel COM
panv at the Sunnyside mines under cate
on Nov. m. 1908, YOU considered some ~
. tba corr,ufaf nts referred to and promised
To- remedy some of them. The most ln-
portant ones were either not cohce4e y
by YOU or the concession was accom- paliloV
bv "a modification of the original request Z.
since then the employees nave been Nait-
ing for fair end amicaole a,Ju7I5Liel - II
/ au points of difference between tlle Nylli
NAMES and themselves slpcerely h"pl.s
that a. peaceahle solution might be QnlNN-
! Isl effected IT, is unnecessary 20 atai e
fIat The arnp1oves are deeply concerned lr
q. me speedy settlement Of an conuoVef sizes
between themselves and the comPaIles
b they are dependent upon tneir uallH tvi
| for bread. and h1nofeos ~ ~g.A9t tE,
children must necessarily suffer III me
. employees arc not quickly permitted 70 re-
| turn Co work They are ANXIOUS 20 ~
, sumo work. feeling that the winter whicf
I t. before them viii bring untold uliCrlls
and sorrow 70 them and 20 their families
I However. the purpose of this comm unica'
I tiou primarily rs 20 aid i'm reaching com.
mon ground upon which the cpmpdnles
) and the employees can stand ana Whlcf
+ viii result in the immediate settleneh
tof an trouble and the resumption Of WorF
uDou the part of the employees. Aecoto
- Z inglv we present for your consideration
D tho points which have been the princpa
I Erounds OF difference between the com
81 panies and the employees ana we herepl
E declara that upon satisfactory reinoNa
{ l of these points Of difference the empiole q
y I will boz glad 20 immediately resume work
Z TN order 20 avoid any mi5el.eel Ilollis
2 / we put the matters Of difference in sue
c.nct form and in the shape OF REQUESTS al
Specific Requests.
] ..First-That track layers shall las an'
e. take out track in EN- cross-cuts, the com
n pauy 60 pay $50 per yard Tor dIlNln'
/, Secondhand goo pounds constitute
= tom instead of 2240 pounds. the system
? now used by the companies.
], .'Third-That the scales be properly test
$ ed from time Go time by a government ot
= "Fourth-That the miners receive 20 pc
cent advance en- 1900 pounds.
"Fifth-That an. miner taken from hi
- usual place Of work 90 drive or 60 q
l. any other work receive S2.25 per day.
- "Sixth-Th1t the company replace tn
- Gu cents per yard taken Oft entries anog
o. | eight months ago. and taat miners Work
= ing in places where they have 90 conten
with water. bad roofs ciou. low coal q
any other drawback have their wage
made equal 20 the miners average earn
ings throughout the mine under averag
3. / conditions
r. "seventh-That the miners have chee
10 weighman at each tiple, his pay 20 .
/ deducted through the office.
"Eightn-That the drawers. timber
b. men, trackmen and an other inside da
men receive ~ per cent per day advance
''Ninth-That the coupon and scrip sys
tenn be abolished
49, ''Tenth-That an outside men connecte
with the mines receive % per cent I'D
~ vance, and teamsters have tfteen mil
IS utes TO care for their teams as formerly
l. "Eleventh-Thst employees be paid sem
- I monthly.
= 'Tweifth-That no employee be suspende
- OF discharged for taking part in thes
:, proceedings. and that the United Mir
- Workers Of America be recognized 10 tn
extent that employees Of the cOmpanit
may be permitted 90 join such organize
ton. and that there shall be no dt
elimination against such as may uni
~ with such Organization.