The labor world. [volume] (Duluth, Minn.) 1896-current, 1906-03-31
THE PRINTERS STRIKE
FOR EIGHT HOUR DAY
The Duluth Typographical
Union Still Puts Up a
Strong Fight.
A Few Facts That Are of In
terest on the Local Sit
uation.

the fight are determined that victory
shall be theirs before they return 10
the old scale Of wages and the hourS
of labor formerly demanded by the
by the employers.
The Duluth Typographical unlon' IN
accordance with instructions from
Headquarters at indianapolis, Ind,
obeyed the orders of it's international
officers and demanded that an eight
hour day be granted to its members
engaged in the book and job printing
offices. This demand was not made
without due notice on the employers
as required by the agreement entered
into between the local union and the
employers.
In order that the public may be fully
informed as to the true state OF affairs
in the present strike of the printers, a
few facts may not be anllss. The In
ternational Typogra phical union re-
duced the number Of hours of labor
from ten to nine after years OF good
hard work. Then the question Of the
eight hour day was taken up at the an
nual conventions Of the union and dis
cussed and plans formulated for put
ting it into effect On Jan. l, 1906. All
subordinate unions were instructed
that in making future contracts with
the employers they be made to ter
inmate as near Jan. 1, 1906, as possible.
1t was, and always has been, the pol
icy Of the International Officers that no
contract should be violated with the
employers. Good or bad thought the
contract may be it's provisions should
be lived up to and carried out to the
letter. until the date of it's expiration.
y }tice was served on the employers
throughout the country almost two
years before the date set for the short
er worday, that the subordinate un
ions should demand on Jan. l., 1906,
that the eighthour day go into effect.
The object in thus giving the employ
ers such timely notice of the unions
demand was to give the employers
plenty Of time to adjust their business
accordingly. Another reason was that
the employers could not go before the
public and misrepresent the union by
stating that they had received no no.
tice of the change, that they were not
given even time to consider 1T and that
the whole thing was a surprise to
.s1ell. he Topographic Uniorl's ac-=
tlon In the present situation has been
clear and above board, and it can be
said with credit to the local union
that no mean or unfair act has been
committed by any of the officers or
members of the union. What has been
done to gain the demand for the eight
hour day has been legitimate, fair and
square. A straight forward appeal has
been made to the men who came here
m n ,Io Of ho tri1
after considering the matter Them
selves, came to the conclusion that
they were in the wrong and that the
union was right III the demand. They
left the city as soon as the conditions
We're explained to them, for many
were brought here under msrepre-
sentatiOn.
The question at issue between the
Duluth Typographical union and the
local members Of the Typothetae is the
eight hour day They have tried to
deceive people by bringing other oues-
t1ons up and in this manner lead the
general public to believe it is not the
eight-hour day they are fighting.
While many of the employers admit
that the eight hour day is coming still
they claim that the time is not ripe
for its adoption. Those who raise this
cry would claim every year that the
time has not yet come. Of all business
the printing industry is one which
can very easily be adjusted to the
shorter workday. The International
Typographical union says that the
time for its adoption is here, it has
made the demand and over two thirds
Of the cities working under it's juris-
dlctlon are now working under the
elght-hour day. The success so far
achleVed has exceeded the expecta-
uons of the l. T. U. officers. 1t was
a well laid out campaign and is being
carried on in a systematic and busi-
ness like manner that is certainly an
admirable one. Organization has been
the WatchWord Of the officers and
members of the union and no effort
was spared to get every man COM
petent to enter the ranks in the union.
The United Typothetae of America.
the association of EMPLOYERS. in it's
effort to defeat the Typogra phical
union, precipitated the conflict before
the time set by the International Of
hcers. me consequence was that the
employers met with failure at the verv
'''"A - AASy 1ldu expected TO take the
unions by surprise and in this manner
wln but they found the local officers
ana members Of subordinate unions
VIDE awake and ready for any emer-
gency. The employers association has
resorted to the injunction system
TO prevent members from speaking to
the strike breakers. What do Won
think of this action in a. free land >
Nevertheless they have spoken and are
still speaking to those men and win
n1ns they over to the union ranks.
Duluth Typographical union at tho
commencement of its fight for tho
shorter workday secured the pledge ~
\ hundreds Of business men to demand
the union label on all printing done for
them and to have their work executed
In union Offices. These men have
been faithful to their promises for
they know that the union element in
the city is to be reckoned with. All
the union is asking for It's friends Is
to see that the union label is placed on
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