The labor world. [volume] (Duluth, Minn.) 1896-current, 1903-03-07
BIG TUG STRIKE
IS PROBABLE.
TUG TRUST REPUDjATES CON.
TRACT AGREED 70 LAST FALL.

TUG TRUST REPuD,A1Es CON-
TRACT AGREED TO LAST FALL.
Refuses to Give Wording Of Agree
ment Made Through tho Efforts Of
Senator Hanna a Literal Interpre-
tation-company Attempts to Shift
the Responsibility Upon the L. T.
| P. A 1t Wants to Destroy the Or
ganization.
There is every reason to believe that
the Great Lakes Towing Company and
the Licensed Tugmen's Association will
be unable to get together for this sea-
son without conflict.
1t will be we'll remembered that last
season the tugmen were at outs with
the tug trust for five months. Just at
the time when it was thought that the
strike would peter out, the tugmen's g
association affiliated with the Long
shoremen, and through the efforts of
Senator M. A. Hanna and President D.
j. Keefe an agreement was reached
which led the association to believe
that it had scored an unprecedented
victory.
BY the terms of the agreement, which
was to remain in full force until Janu-
ary 1st, 1903, the Great Lakes Towing
company was to discharge within 80
days all men in it's employ who were
not members Of the L. T. P. A. on
April 1st, 1902.
The agreement was entered into on
September 3rd. It was further
agreed that the company would be per-
mitted to retain in it's employ until
January 1st, 1903 all men who were in
it's employ and who were in good stand
ing with the l.. r. p A. on April 1st,
1902.
Both parties agreed to meet in Joint
conference not later than February
10th, 1903, for the purpose of regulating
the wage scale and other conditions to
prevail during the season Of 1903.
The company agreed to employ as
captains and engineers none but men,
bers in good standing with the licensed
tugmen's unions.
From the very beginning the COM
pany seemed to hesitate in carrying out
port of the agreement. Time after
time the L. T. P. A. was obliged to in
sist upon its enforcement to the letter.
The company, however, pretended tc
interpret the agreement rather differ,
|
the literal Interpretation, while the
company through its paid attorney Sc.
cured a lawyers view Of it, and o1
course we all know what that means.
In any event the matter ran alons
until the time for the joint meeting
which was held in South Bend Ind, or
February 9th, 1903.,
At this meeting the representatives
OF thes company felt their way. along
under the, pretense Of ascertaining xths
. authority Il he z. : q, 3. gram
itss
the ldngshoremen; it's: intention as Il
abiding by the license laws Of tn,
United States government, and it.
? ability to abide by contract, if on,
was entered into by the tug trust
After this was settled the eompan,
representatives then wanted to know
what the l.. T. P. A. would do with tn,
men who worked during the strike o
1902 and they demanded that these mel
be reinstated into the organization be
fore wages and conditions were agreet
:, to. This came like a bomb shell be
fore the conference. The L. T. P A
had all along interpreted the agreemen
of September srd, to be that the com
., pany would dispose of all such mel
, on January 1st, 1908.
. ! Section three of the agreement rea,
as follows:
''That the men who were in the com
pany's employ on April 1st, 1902, AM
are working for them at the presen
,, time who were members in good stand
ing Of the L. T. P A. on the above date
they to remain in the employ of tn
Great Lakes Towing company if sal,
company desires to retain them unit
l January 1st, 1909"
. Any fair minded man can read thi
;, section and take no other meaning ou
Of it, save the literal interpretatio
- - made by the officers of the l.. T. P. A
After three days discussion the con
, ference never got beyond this point. A
>. the end of this time the company repre-
> sentatives asked for continuance III,
. til March 1st, 1908. The grand griev
:, ance committee were not disposed t
agree to this, because by that tim
- many of their members would want t
u know what was to be DONE 1t wa
finally agreed to adjourn to Februar
2Srd, and if the company was not pre-
I pared to wave their point by Febru
wa
to be necessary.
On February 18th. the company sub
n mitted lengthy answer to the l.. T. T
l A. in which it recited the grievances Q
the year, and laid particular stress o
Y the fact that the men who worked dur
: ing the strike had kept their agreemen
e with the company, and it would be un
It fair and unbusinesslike to pass them u
s for doing so, and rewarding men VIII
e violated their contracts with the com
pany.
This was a new proposition entirel.
S Why was this point not fought out i
: September? Why was the. company s
e solicitous about these men now whe
II in September it agreed 10 dispens
y with them on January 1st, 1903?
n The fact of the. matter is that tn
It l.. T. P. A. never entered into a tim