The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1904-03-30
STRIKING BINDERY
GIRLS STAND FIRM
Leader Declares Union Must Be
Recognized Before Strike
Ends.

The bindery girls now on strike for
a recognition of their union are salts
fed, even cheerful. They're conduct
ing a. spirited contest. But they're
growing stronger daily, so they say.
Their pretty "pickets" are enjoying
the warmer weather, and not few
pickets are consoled the Hvelong day
with oranges and cocoanuts.
The eleven local binderies whose
former employees make up the strikers
are equally content. These employers,
all members of the Typothetae, say
that they are losing no business, and
are making no effort to employ nom
union binders.
According to an officer of No. 40,
lat girl binders have quit work at the
eleven binderies; almost all the girls
"out" have joined the union, and there
are only eight bindery girls now work.
ing in st. Paul.
Forty mine girls are out" she said,
.sat the Pioneer Press, IA at Brown &
Treacy's, 4 at PohPs, 6 at Giesens, 6
at RandalPs, at the Railroader, at
Moeller's and at Smythe's. That's
ninety-two out and not one in at
those eight binderies. Then there's
thirty-two out and two in at the West
Publishing company; two more girls
left there today. Fifteen are out and
four in at McGilrs, and eight are out
and two in at Mrs. Fox's. So, you see
-147 out and eight in, only eight.
Were getting along very nicely.
Most of the girls like the vacation-it's
a long, long time since they've had a
rest. We have the big hall and the
piano all to ourselves up stairs; and
a girl is generally dancing when she
isn't picketing or"-more slowly and
-.transacting her official du-
ties.
Backed by Brotherhood.
Were being backed up splendidly.
The whole International Brotherhood
is helping us; we are each of lis enti
tied to strike allowance, of course.
But a good many Of the girls won't ac-
cept anything. Some of us that want
ed to go to work have already got
places in offices and stores. I suppose
that quite number will never go back
to binding.
Besides, number of the men bind
ers-about forty or fifty-are out, too,
| though the binderies have no dispute
with them. Our rules prevent the men
| from going out on sympathetic
strike, but any man can quit work of
his own accord. Some have done that
| Other men have been laid off because
| they wouldn't take work from a nom
| union girl, or because there's moth
| ing for them to do since the girls quit.
More men will have to lay off every
day on that account.
| 1.-THE Typothetae are not getting any
girls in our places. No girls are COM
| ing from other cities-in fact, all the
| binders are striking in Chicago, and
| the Minneapolis girls have refused to
work against us. A very few young
| girls, little things Of thirteen or four
| teen, have been taken on. But new
/ girl needs a long time to learn bind
| ing. She's usually instructed by the
forelady, and none Of the st. Paul
foreladies are working now. And I
mustn't forget our pickets; they've
found no trouble In persuading new
girls not to take our places.
There was an ad. in the papers
about a new bindery that is to be built
within 200 miles of st. Paul. Proposals
! to build it, OF something like that, were
/ wanted But expert men binders tell
us that the cost of taking the work
back and forth, and other reasons,
| would prevent anybody's running a
bindery in a small town for st. Paul
work. I'm sure that ad. is only a
1 bluff"
/ Picket duty is competed for eagerly
/ by the strikers. Two pickets watch
| each of ten binderies and four picketS
| watch one bindery. These twentyfour
| Grenadier Guard girls are changed ev-
cry hour from o'clock a. m. to 6
o'clock o. m. But the volunteers show
| themselves as inSistent hour by hour
as Japanese sailors yearning to block
ade Port Arthur.
mo matter how cold 1t was last
week." said the officer yesterday at
/ Federation hall, "even when it was
| raining, we were surrounded by vol
unteers. o. just let me be picket, just
once, won't You? our youngest girls
kept repeating; and we've some hardly
sixteen years old.
Pickets Are Treated Kindly.
"And I must say the Typothetae have
treated our pickets very kindly You'll
see our girls perched up on the West
| companys railing alongside the door
all day long and nobody interfering
At one big place down on Third street
| and, yes, at another big bindery, too
the pickets were invited inside to keep
| warm those cold days.
| And down on Third street the COM
mission houses give our pickets just all
the oranges and cocoanuts they can
eat That very cold day two pickets
| Marie - and Lucy -, told me
| they took their cocoanuts right inside
| when they were invited and sat and
ate them by the radiator. The Typoth-
etae man fixed up chairs for Marie and
Lucy so they could watch the front
door. IF you see a girl come in now,
he told 'em, just make jump fol
her. He was so kind that they gave
him piece Of cocoanut."
yes" observed prominent picket
| standing near. "All the girls are dy-
ing to be pickets down on Third street;
the commission men are so polite. We
get a cocoanut up here sometimes.
But I'd like to give the st. Paul
working girls credit for treating us
| very fairly. When we see girl come
I'D to bindery door as if she wanted
to get work, we ask her If she knows
there's a strike on, and that she'll take
/ some other girls place from her.
"'Oh, is that SOL she'll say. I don't
want to take your job and she'll GO
away.
.eWhy. last week, when it was rain
ing, I was a picket down at McGills
A little tiny girl came up. l explained
She said: I need work bad, awful bad
but won't take anybody's place. M y
papa was on strike once. But couldn't
you tell me where I could get some
thing, almost anything, to dog
1 How the Strike Started.
ssThe way it started? Well" ex-
1 II. Sfa11y ami r.