Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1905-10-14
UNIONS IN low A
LABOR COMMISSIONERS IN STATS
TICS OF THE STATE SHOWS
DECREASE.

~ IoSaiS III IOWA t1SS 0S-
come Fewer 6o8 AS Compared
With $50 Of Two Years Previous -
Monthly Bulletin Of Laocr Drinas.
The Forthcoming report of the bu-
reau OF labor statistics of Iowa will
show 6SS unions in the state, with
membership of 41,397, as against $50
unions, with membership of 44,722
In the report of two years ago. This
SHOWS a falling off in the number of
unions reported of 21S2 per cent. and
in the membership of 7.43 per cent.
Eighteen crafts with 395 locals in
the state made a material increase in
membership; one craft with five
locals show the same membership,
while five crafts with sixty-seven
locals show decrease Of less than
per cent. in membership: ten locals
of the Laborers International Protec-
tive, and one Traction Engineers. all
OF same in state and both dual
organizations to the American Fed
| efatlon, make no report and are
known to have gone out of existence.
|
crease OF membership are the brick
and tile workers, wagon and carriage
workers, freight handlers, railway ex-
pressmen, laundry workers, federal
labor unions, hotel and restaurant en-
ployes (waiters and cooks only, the
bartenders showing a healthy growth)
bakers, cereal mill workers, caused by
the destruction of large mill at &C.
dar Rapids; horseshoers, wood work
ers, caused by changing to carpenl
tiers. upholsterers and meat cutters.
The teamsters and painters also show
considerable falling off in localities
this affecting their total membership
in the state
A. l. .Urick, president of the Iowa
state Federation of Labor. says by
way OF explanation in circular
which has been received in Ottum-
wa: 1T is apparent that the on
slaught of union enemies had It's eff
feet upon the weaker and undis-
clpllned unions, while the older and
better disciplined unions have not
only COPIED with the antagonism, but
have protected their unions and in
creased their membership. Two years
ago the average membership per
union was 56.6S, whereas the forth
coming report will show the average
to have advanced to 6169 per union
Unions have been organized in six
additional counties, while one county
|-Greene-formerly having one small
local, has been abandoned. Twenty.
six new localities have been added
to those of two years ago having la
i Dor organizations.
i Doings of the Unions.
Il A. L. Urick, labor commissioner for
Iowa, furnishes interesting information
regarding the unions of the state in his
j monthly bulletin, just received in OF
tumwa:
i The Typographical union has added
four more eight hour contracts from
/ Iowa during the past month, namely:
Boone, Burlington, Marshalltown and
Oelwein. This makes total of twelve
Iowa cities that are now either oper
ating under an eight hour agreement
or have contracts for such hours after
January 1, 1906.
. The electrical workers of Daven
port are still on strike for shorter
workday and increase of wages.
ganized labor out of work, while about
200 unorganized workmen are idle
BARRIERS, cigarmakers and printers are
quite active in advertising their union
labels.
The Burlington trades assembly has
I, secured the Rev. Charles Stelzle OF
Chicago, secretary of the department
of church and labor of the Presby.
terrain board of home missions, to de-
! liver an address on the labor question
on Monday, October 80. Rev. Mr.. Stel
zle is an active member of the machin
lists union and carries working card
in the same.
The boiler makers on the Chicago
i Great Western system in their recent
settlement, after strike of one week,
secured 351s cents per hour, with an
adjustment of a number of working
conditions.
The Des Moines trades assembly has
secured Florence Kelly for an address
at it's hall on the evening of November
8.
Oelwein reports railroad shops work.
/ ing ten hours with nine hours on Sat
urdays, and that the company is hir-
ing all boilermakers carmen and ma
chinists that come that way. The
machinists secured the reinstatement
of one of their members who had been
Disseminated against.
\ The union bakers of Dubuque have
been on strike in number OF bake
shops for three months. They are
confident of winning in the end. Their
demand is shorter workday and all
I day work.
I The officers of district No. 10 of the
/ United Mine Workers have issued a
/ compilation o. decisions of the joint
!! board of miners and operators cover
i ing the period from October, 1893, to
I October ], 1905. More than 100 de
j cisions were made by this board dur.
/ ing the period mentioned This does
4 not include more than $500 adjust,
! ments made during the same period
between officers of the union and oper
ators or their commissioner. Thls well
n offootivnrpsc of