The Dakota chief. (Gann Valley, Buffalo County, S.D.) 18??-1913, 1906-06-07
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Labor.
j. w. Smiley, internaj jonal president
OF the Shirtwaist and Laundry Workers,
is personally directing a Massachusetts,
organizing and unionizing campaign.
Printers unions in st. John, N. B.,
Ste. Marie, Mich, Jackson, Miss, Car
linyille, ILL.,, Princeton, Ind, and I'll
Reno, Okla, have just obtained the eight
hour day.
Billposters have won the eightIhour
day and increase of wages in Omaha,
Neb.; also won the strike for the union
shop in Cincinnati and New York. An
organizing campaign is to be made in the
Southern States.
A judgment for $500 against members
of the Rutland (Vt) machinist union for
damages caused by strike three years
ago, in favor of the Patch Manufacturing
Company, has been sustained by the Ver-
mont Supreme Court.
The Executive Board of the Interna-
tional Association of Machinists will meet
in Washington to discuss plans for an
eight-hour organization and to fix date
on which the campaign for the shorter
work day is to be instituted.
The question of the affiliation of the
Bricklayers and Masons' International
Union with the American Federation OF
Labor, which was twice defeated by
narrow margin, is to be again submitted
for referendum vote of the membership
of the former organization.
In consequence of the lockout in the
metal trades at Berlin and other German
cities, general strike of all skilled work
men involving $4,000 union and 10000
non-union men was announced. The
strikers chief demand Is minimum wage
scale of 81 marks, or about So week.
The Frankfort (Ky.) Shoe Manufac.
turing Company recently was awarded
the contract for the lease of labor OF
$50 men by the prison commissioner at
% cents a day for each man. This is the
highest price ever paid for prison labor in
the State and said to be the second high
est price paid in the Union.
A fraternity of wage-earning girls has
recently been organized as part OF New
Yorks upper east side. Membership is
open to any wage-earning girl over 10
years old, no matter what kind of work
she does. Unity and cooperation are the
watchwords. Once a month open meet
ings are held for addresses and discussions
on live topics.
The trades most affected by contract
convict labor are the shoe workers, iron
molders, garment workers and broommak-
ers. Institutions recently visited employ
ed total of 4,253 convicts in the manu-
facture of boots and shoes. These 4,253
convict shoe workers are paid an average
wage of 43 cents day, and they are
turning out 25,340 pairs of, shoes every
day.
In most callings when member hap
pens to meet with a fatal accident OPP
erations are suspended for the day. Local
Union No. 1,004 of the United Mine
Workers, has passed resolution which
provides for the men to remain at work
and donate % per cent of the wages
earned at the mine on the day of the ac-
cident. 1t further requests that the com
pany contribute an amount equal to that
raised by the workers.
The treasury of the International Typo
graphical Union at present contains
S15S, ,122.50, of which $109,S5S.40 is in
the general and S15, ,345.20 in the special
defense fund. The strike roll contains
4,7S2 journeymen, 401 apprentices and
Col members of allied trades, total of
5,7S4. The expense of the printers strike
since Aug. "a, 1905, was $612,277 by
April 21, and that the receipts for the de-
fence fund were $669, ,109.
The Chicago Federation of Labor is
said to have decided to boycott the relig-
ious revival planned by Bishop McCabe
of the Methodist church on account of his
recent utterance hostile to organized labor.
A circular letter sent by the labor lead
ers to the Methodist preachers of Chi
cago, expressed regret that organized la
Dor could not join in the revival meeting
and asserted that the book concern con-
Quoted by the Methodist church refuses to
pay union wages for union hours. The
federation will attempt to make the boy
colt national and even international.
Buyers unions are being organized in
different parts of the United States, the
chief purpose of which is to see that
union-earned money is not spent for
strike-breaking purposes or to encourage
the employment of cheap labor and the
open shop. The organizers of the Buyers
Union act upon the fact that the union
member who purchases non-union goods
is throwing away the greatest advantage
labor has in placing its purchasing power
where it can do the most good; that the
complete solidarity of labor depends as
much upon the refusal of the Union mem
Der to buy non-union goods as upon the
faithful adherence to any other union
principle. The Buyers Union pledges its
members to buy none but union labeled
goods, and takes measures to secure the
introduction of such goods in all friendly
stores and by earnest work of education
and agitation for the union label.