Waterbury evening Democrat., 1905-12-20
THE NEW SCALE
Local Typographical Union De-
 mands an Eight Hour Day.

l the city, when the Typographical union l demands its new scale of wages and an eight-hour day. At the present l time it looks as if most of the larger shops would agree to the new scale, all ] though some of the owners will not discuss the question at the present time. They say they want time to think it over.
 On the 31st of this month the old contract which the union had with the shops will expire and all the old offices will be asked to sign the new agree ment The important concession which the men want the master printers to give in to is an eight-hour day. At the present writing the Democrat office is the only establishment in the city where an eight-hour day is in force. Not long since the members of the ] Typographical union were compelled | to work nine hours for days labor. 1 Then they asked for eight and half. Next they asked for eight hours and a i quarter and the shops for the greater part readily consented. Now they want an eight hour day and some of the members of the craft do not care to l grant it.
 The new scale which the local boss es will be asked to sign the first of the year is being demanded all over the country and is meeting with considera- I ble opposition. There are numerous strikes on in all sections of the coun- try. but the men say that those who have been holding out are rapidly coming in and that within the past six weeks the firms in more than 300 cities and towns have signed the | agreement.
 There has been a strike on In Hart ford the past two months and neither side seems to be willing to give up. The men say that 1t will not be long before the two big concerns which have failed to sign will come in with the rest.
 At the present time in this city there 7 arc about sixty men in the union and it is said that every printer in town with the exception of two are mem bers of the Typographical union. A l tour through the various shops will show that the concerns are at least thinking the matter over and will give it much consideration before they de- eide.
 The manager of the Commercial Printing house on Bank street when asked if he would sign the new agree ment. said he did not care to talk on the subject at this time. This is now a union shop.
 Manager Clifford Fowler of the Fowler Co said: 'I have always had success running an open shop and ex- pect to do so after the first of the year"
 At the Waterbury paper box shop there are three men employed. and the manager will run it in the same man. ner that he has been doing. IL Is now an open shop. It is said that the Typographical will make strong ef- fort to bring this under the union label.
 Proprietor Eugene Adt of the Wa terbury Printing shop on Bank street said: T will say nothing either one way or the other" This shop Is now an npen-epe, It,is stated that the men working there now are all members of the nnion
 John !. Price. who runs a shop on Bank street. does not yet know what he will do in regard to the demands The men. although this is now a union shop. expect trouble there, as 1t Is said that Price is not in favor of granting the requests.
 H. NJ. Smith of the Blank Book Go at first did not care to talk on the sub ject. but finally said: T suppose we will agree if the rest do and the new scale is found 10 be all right"
 R. B. Foley of the Jackson Quick Print. when asked if they were in favor of the new conditions. replied: Yes. this shop intended to give the men eight hours the first of the year whether the union demanded 1t or not"
 No trouble is expected at the Repub- lican or American and the men are confident that all the shops. although they may say differently now. will be there with the pen before the first of the month.
 Tt is not to compel a shop to have the union label that we are looking for" said an officer recently to a man talking to him on the subject. "It is the eight hour day and the prices NHlGiA WE dSks VA GVMINf NufN ing the proprietorsl may think we ask too much. but for the most part they live easily while we have to serape tooth and nail If the owners give us what we want they may hire whom they wish: We won't try to run the shop. Naturally ii they refuse to give Us VEat we ask for there win be a strike.
 Officers of the Typographical union will he elected next Sunday. and all things in connection with the new scale will be discussed. The treasury is said to be In a fonrishiDg condition and ready for an emergency. At the present time Frank W. Wheeler of Waterville Is president. but 1t Is said an entirely new set of officers will be put In at the next election
 The men seem to be confident of suecess and while it is likely that the owners win do some thinking. the chances are from the present outlook that the union will obtain all that it asks
 At the present time the TypoEraph- icai union Is about the only union in town that could run a strike with any chance Of success" said a prominent owner of one of the shops to q Demo crat reporter. in speaking on the sub Ject. but fl the owners would only stick together In this and refuse Go sign this new contract we would have our shops in such a way that every six months there would not be a de mand for something new and we would cfra fkesa raonfa fha kue.rksssf hfour AS long as the employing printers 10