The labor world. [volume] (Duluth, Minn.) 1896-current, 1904-03-05
GET HIS DIVIDEND :.
: THEN REDUCES WAGES
CONNECTICUT FIRM WHOSE
GREED KNOWS NO BOUNDS.
In December It Declares a Is Per Cent.
Dividend, and Immediately Orders
a Big Wage Cut. Metal Polishers
Union inaugurates Fight Against
Firm, and Asks Support Of Union
Labor.

New Britain, Conn.,, March ga big
strike of metal polishers and Buffers is
on in this city against the Stanley Rule
and Level company. The union states
that, it is attempting to compel this
firm to treat its employees as human
beings, and to at least induce it to pay
them decent living wage. It is charg-
ed by the union that the firm declared
a 16 per cent dividend last December.
After this was done the company de-
cided to reduce the miserable wages it
paid it's employees, SO as to further in
crease their enormous profits. Accord
ingly a cut of from 10 to 40 per cent
was ordered. Men earning $3.50 per day
were reduced to $500, and those earn
ing $14e per day were cut to $1.25.
The union has inaugurated strong
campaign against the unfair company
and has sent out the following state
ment and appeal to all unions through
out the country.
1.-THE shop was unOrgHn1Zed, with
the exception Of the polishing room, and
of course accepted anything the COM
pany offered without naurmur. The
, polishers refused to work for the re-
duced wages, an dafter a committee Of
failed to get justice, District and Inter-
national officers were called in, and
after first offering to settle the trouble
many way agreeable to the company
that would permit the men to make
fair days pay, offered to submit the
entire matter for arbitration. All of
which was refused, and the men struck
taking nineteen Of the twenty-three
men employed in the room out.
The company, through it's officers and
representa- tives, then eNr1eavored to cor
rupt our members offering some Of the
most competent of. them better wages
and steady employment, showing them
large rolls of bills which they could
have had for the asking, if they would
become traitors, return to work ana
help break the strike. But the men
are t'true blue" and laughed to scorn
every attack made on their manhood
and honor.
The Stanley Co. manufacture planes.
rules, levels, and a large number OF
other tools, which are bought and used
almost entirely by organized mechanics
attached to the building and other
trades and therefore it should not be
very hard to pursuade this firm to treat
our members fair This strike has been
endorsed by Local 126, New Britain.
Conn.,; District Council No. 3, and our
International Union. We do not need
financial assistance, but request you to
appoint a committee to visit the hard
ware merchants in your town and ask
+ them to discontinue handling the pro-
duct OF this unfair firm until they see
fit to pay their help living wages; also
instruct your Secretary to write to the
Stanley Rule and Level Co., New
Britain; Conn.,, and inform them that
your members cannot purchase the
tools made by their firm while they re-
main unfair to organized labor, and re-
quest your Central Bodies and Trade
Councils to take similar action.
Remeber, all carpenters tools bearing
the name of "STANLEY'' are made by
this firm. Also "BAILEY' and "SIEG-
LEY" planes"