The evening times. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1906-1914, 1906-04-12
TRAITORS REPORTED
IN THEIR
MIDST
Such is Allegation of Painter
Referring to "No-strike"
Policy.

Editor Evening Times: In your is
sue of April 9 appeared an item of
news under the heading. Painters Not
to Strike" to which desire to object
Local Union No. 315, Grand Forks.
North Dakota is affiliated with the
Brotherhood Of Painters, Decorators
and Paper Hangers of America, with
headquarters at Lafayette, Indiana,
being a secret organization. No men,
Der has any right or was empowered
to give out any information as to the
inside workings of our union. but rs
the items in The Evening Times are
misleading, l desire to state the true
facts. The items stated that The SCH
timent against calling strike was
strong, and that the trouble was large
~ the result Of internal dissensions.
This is absolutely untrue. At our reg
ular meeting Wednesday. April 4.
where twenty-one members were
present, every single member arose
and declared himself in favor of a
walk-out if the employers of the city
would not agree to our demands,
which we consider very reasonable in
deed. And let he say right here, that
those that yelled loudest for strike
were the supporters of no strike
policy at our special meeting Satur-
day evening-simply because they had
been bought over by the employers.
1t appears that We had traitor in
our ranks at the Wednesday meeting
when we decided to hold the special
meeting, to take a secret ballot as to
whether we were. to strike or not
this being reported to one of the EN-
ployers next morning. He in turn
called meeting of the other employ
ers that night, where it was evidently
decided to bride such men as they
could get to do their dirty work.
bride them with an offer OF an increase
in salary of a steady job--to go to our
special meeting and vote mo strike"
and to the everlasting disgrace of
those men who call themselves
brotherhood men. the boss painters
evidently succeeded. The Evening
Times stated that the membership of
our local union is forty. This also is
untrue. We have thirty-four MEM
bers in good standing and entitled to
vote on the question. Twenty-seven
of those were present and voted, four
being away from the city; but three
AuoIC1u VI d uOIcu vi IlOE0 I0lu6lu6u
away Now, again, your informer
stated that the present scale is from
27kc an hour up, first-class men re-
ceiving as high as 35c an hour. AS
matter of fact there has not been a
single house painter in the city receiv-
ing 35c an hour. There have been
about a half dozen men receiving 30c
an hour, the remainder being paid
27kc or less; and now, sir, when we
consider the working year of the
painter in this country is seven
months, do not consider the demand
for 30c an hour unreasonable. The
boss painter alleges that the union
allows man to work six months ap-
premiership and then takes him in as
full-fledged artist, requiring the
same pay received by the older and
experienced men. This is not so.
There is not a man in our local union
who has not worked at least three
years at the trade-that is all our
constitution requires-or who has not
been paid last years scale before be-
ing admitted as a full member.
Some of the imbecile employers
have tried to make the public believe
that we attempt an imposition on
them by forcing them to pay six
months apprentices journeymen's
wages, but they do not hesitate to en-