The Minneapolis journal., 1903-03-20
In Labor's Field.
"A GROWING UNION.
Rapid Progress Being Made by the
international Union Of Flour
Mill Employees.
Forty Local Unions Already on List
Of Young, but Study, Or
ganization.

i At a. convention of delegates from mill
workers unions of the northwest held
Sept. %, 1902, the International Union
Of Flour and Cereal Mill Employees was
organized. The idea of an International
union first took root among members of
the local mill workers union No con-
certed action had previously been taken
by the then existing unions, but the
local mill men took the matter in hand
and issued invitations to all mill en-
ployes' unions which were AFFILIATED with
the American Fedora ton of Labor, re-
Questing them to send delegates to the
Minneapolis meeting to discuss plans for
an international union A few nearby
unions complied and sent representatives.
The unions not doing so sent letters in
dorsing the movement and pledging their
hearty cooperation in the work. The
American Federation of Labor, always
anxious and willing to assist in the work
OF organization. sent an experienced man
to assist the convention. and after care
ful consideration a constitution was
adopted. Oct. the American Fedora
tion of Labor granted charter to the
lnterna tional Union of Flour and Cereal
Mill Employees which gave the latter con-
troll of all unions comprised of workmen
p. engaged In the flour and cereal mills of
! the United States and Canada. The union
started with charter list Of some thirty
organizations, and the good will and best
wishes of trade unionists generally. Few
labor bodies have been brought into ex-
istence under fairer auspices.
Some years ago, when local organizers
surveyed the milling field with view to
the formation of a union, it was reported
that any sort Of a trades combination was
out of the question, and the field was
abandoned until the workmen themselves
took the matter up with the result that
a short time after the Flour Packers and
Nailers' Protective Union was formed,
+1n
cents per day more than previously be-
SIDES enjoying an eight-hour workday.
, Eisht-Hour Day Movement.
Encouraged by the success of the pack
ers and nailers, the flour leaders Or
ganized. and this movement had the ef-
fect Of stirring up the other mill employees
to such an extent that a short time after
the Northwestern Flour Mill EMPLOYEES
union came into existence. One Of the
first moves made was to ask for a change
from the two-shift plan, which involved
an eight-hour day and the hiring Of an ad-
dltlonal crew of men In each mill, in order
to grind flour for twenty four hours per
day. For "a time things looked dark but
the matter was gone into In the proper
spirit by both sides with, the result that
the men were granted the eight-hour day
and slight wage increase. aThe mill
owners advanced the argument in the
controversy that ;hey could not grant the
demands Of their employees because many
OF the principal milling centers of the
country were as yet outside the pale of the
union, and in these places lower wage
scales would prevail, hours of work would
be longer; and many other things would
combine to initiate against the - local
miller. The unions met this with. the as
surance that the work of organiza ton
would go on increasingly until all cause
for complaint on this score would be
= eliminated. And. this has been the aim
Of the interna tional organza ton SINCE
and to-day it has enrolled under it's ban
ner unions in all the principal milling CEN
ters Of the United States and Canada. In
all forty unions have affiliated with the
international, the state of Illinois, with
eight unions; Minnesota and California
with six each; New York, Iowa and In
diana with three each; Kansas, Missouri
and Wisconsin, two each, while the others
are scattered through Oregon, Maryland
and Ohio. ..>y.
Organizers to Be Employed.
The officers of the international say that
rs soon as practicable organizers will be
kept permanently at work in the milling
field. They hope to achieve even greater
success. Practically all of the mills of the
American Cereal company are union the
trouble at Cedar Rapids. Iowa, having
been adjusted satisfactorily, to those con-
cerned. At this point the mill employees
have three large unions embracing about