Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1904-08-13
CHANG ES in LA W s.
TYPOGRAPHICAL UNION REPEAls
PRIORITY SECTION AND MAKES
OTHER NOTIFICATIONS.

st. Louis, Mo-, Aug II. - The In
ternational Union now in session here.
after lengthy discussion repealed a
portion of section 95 of the general
Jaws relating to priority employment,
After the report of the committee on
laws was given out and announcement
OF the various membership commit
tees made, Frederick Driscoll of st.
Paul was introduced and spoke in part
as follows:
During the past year there has
seen a widespread agitation and dis
elssion of the question of the open vs..
the closed shop. The attitude of your
union on this question is we'll known.
Notwithstanding decisions of courts
In various sections of the country, the
publishers whom have the honor to
represent, fully realize that all Of them
who have entered into arbitration con-
tracts with the International Typo
raphlcal union are thereby bound
e Iorally, II not legally, to the closed
\ hop until May /, 1907.
y mere are certain matters, howev-
Yer, which seriously affect the opinion
of our publishers on this subject. The
hrst l will mention Is the manifest
endeavor of local unions to exclude all
unskilled workmen from performing
unskilled work in the composing room
The publishers object strennously to
paying journeymen's wages for that
portion of labor which requires little
or no skill or experience. The posi-
ton has been taken by the highest au-
thority In your union that all labor in
the composing room must be perform
ed by members of the union or union
apprentices, SO long as the present L.
T. U. laws remain in force. Not only
is the number of apprentices allow
ed by the union unreasonably limited
but the recently increasing require
ments to teach the trade to these ap-
prentices will, if carried out, prevent
them from doing much of this unskill-
ed work, so that if other unskilled lab
or is prohibited, the publisher will be
forced to pay the full scale for this in
/, ferior and subordinate work.
Give Foreman More Liberty.
another recruitment the publish
ers would ask, is that the foreman
should not necessarily be member of
the union. Of this | have spoken at
several previous conventions, urging
Its adoption, but with no avail.
IF you insist that the foreman must
be a member of the union, give him the
liberty to be a man, free in every way
to perform his full duty to the pub
/ Usher, free to employ the best man he
Mean secure for any situation which
may become vacant Don't trammel
Him with priority lists and sub lists
and appeals to the union and fines by
the union when he is struggling to do
his best for the interests of the Office
without acting unfairly toward the
workmen.
'The newspaper composing room
y employe is favored with very much
\ higher wages and also reduced hours
Bthan union printers receive from any
y other class Of employers. Therefore,
Yin all fairness, should not the union
I treat the newspaper publisher with
greater consideration than has been
shown in the past?"
Make Some Changes In Laws.
Following Mr.. Driscolps address the
report, of the committee on laws was
taken up for consideration. After con
SiuCIdulS ulSCuSSlOu JIG PlOpO5lllOA
submitted by the committee as per-
tanning to the punishment of officers
and members of union who conceal
information concerning a strike was
adopted
The committee on laws reported
fayorably on the proposition to repeal
section $50 Of the general laws reading
Members employed under permit in
non-union Offices shall not engage in
"a strike ordered by any other party
than the union they belong to-" The
report was adopted.
The convention then accepted the
invitation of the local committee on
arrangements to inspect the exposition
and took recess.