The San Francisco call., 1904-07-20
BREWERY MEN
OUT ON STRIKE
Do Not Appear at Their Posts
and Bosses Threaten to
Hire NOn-Union Workers
FAIL TO PATCH IT UP
Trouble Quickly Spreads to
Other Cities and Several
Big Plants Shut Down

In accordance with their threat made
Monday night, the Brewery Workers
Union No. Z. consisting of more than
$50 men. went out on strike and failed
to appear yesterday morning at their
places of employment. The Brewers
Protective Association has refused the
demand of the men for an increase of
wages and has notified them that if
they do not report for work this morn
ing at o'clock non union men will be
employed in the strikers places. This
was embodied in a note addressed to
the Brewery Workers Union.
The strike of the workers is caused
by the refusal of the Brewers Associa-
tion to increase the pay of the men
from $40 to s22 a week and grant them
as cents for overtime. There were sew
eral minor points, among them the hir-
ing of apprentices, and both sides
agreed on everything but the wage
schedule.
Each side showed apparent willing
ness to settle its differences, but acted
as if jealous of the other The Brew
ers' Association placed proposition be-
fore the union that they should resort
TO arbitration to settle their differ
ences. The brewers suggested that a
man from each side should be chosen
and the two selected should choose a
third, so that the three could act as a
committee, with the understanding
that all should abide by the decision.
The brewers agreed that if the decision
should be against them they would pay
the increased wages from the date of
the beginning of the strike. The work
ers seemed chary Of this proposition
on the ground that the time of settle
ment would be prolonged and by an
overwhelming vote of $50 to the prop
osition was rejected.
The association had already reached
an agreement with the Beer Drivers
Union and the Bottlers' Union to give
them S2 more a week and so cents over
time. The drivers authorized their
committee to sign such an agreement.
but on hearing of the action of the
striking workers they reconsidered
their action. In the meantime the
bottlers and drivers communicated
with the international union at Cincin-
natl to ask whether they shall join the
striking workers. Up to a late hour
ed. In the course of events, however,
they must Of necessity go on strike.
They may keep their positions as long
as they handle union beer, which is at
present in all the breweries. When that
supply runs out, however, the men will
BE obliged to handle non-union pro-
quot and, according to the articles Of
their agreement, they cannot do that.
In anticipation of the strike the
breweries have been working overtime
laying in beer. but at the best, the sup
ply will probably not outlast a week.
To run their breweries non-union, men
will have to be placed to work at once.
In the meantime the union has estab-
ished pickets who patrolled the vicin-
ity of the breYeries all day yesterday.
The strike in San Francisco has
spread to other parts of the State.
Brewery workers in Alameda County
and Oakland walked out yesterday. At
the great Fredericksburg brewery in
San Jose the entire force of brewery
workers, bottlers, drivers and firemen
struck. The unions in Sacramento had
voted not to go out and delegate from
this city is on his way there to per-
suade them to join the movement.
Another delegate left yesterday for Los
Angeles, nothing having been heard
from that city regarding the action uf
the brewery unions.