The Coeur d'Alene press. (Coeur d'Alene, Idaho) 1906-1907, 1907-10-26
STRIKES AND LoCKoUrS
Quarter Of a Century Struggle
Between Forces.

capllai ana LABOR IN THIS country by
recent statistics complied by the
Commissioner of Labor, whose TWEEN
ty-tlrst annual report deals with
strikes and lockouts from 1881 to
1905 inclusive. In this period there
we're So strikes and l,546 look
outs in the United States involving
1919, 954 establishments and throwing
8, 500, 43A persons out of work. The
average duration Of strikes per es-
tablishmsnt was 25.4 days and Of
lookouts SAC days-facts which sug-
gest the colossal economic waste H.
cidental to the disputes. More Inn
presslve than the loss in wages and
in trade brought about by these dis.
turbanoes, remarks The Wall Street
journal, is the loss in time--a com
modify the value OF which 1.-THE
world has not yet fully appreciated,
Notwithstanding the fact that the
Ia Dor of the greatest scientists and
inventors have for years been applied
to shortening the time needed to do
things
In their Industrial effects, as OK
planned In the report, these two
classes of industrial disturbances
are practically the same, the only
difference between them being that
in a strike the employees take the
initiative in putting stop to work,
while in lockout the initiative 10
taken ty the employer. We learn
further that 6s, 80 per cent OF the
strikes we're ordered by labor organi-
cations. and that $40 per cent were
begun either by employees who we're
not members of organizations or
who, IL members, went on strike
without the sanction Of their organi,
cation. We learn also that both
strikes aud locKouts succeeded often
or than they failed. The figures are
as follows: Strikers succeeded IN
winning all tue demands for whiol
the strike was undertaken In 40
per cent of the establishments, sue
ceeded partly in 10. 70 per cent, and
failed TO win any of their demandI
In CATS per cent of the establish
ments, while lOckouts resulted In
favor of the employers In 57.2O pei
cent of the establishment involved,
succeeded partly in 1911 per cent
and failed In 32.09 per cent. II Il
suggestive to note that women consti
tuted only 9.43 per cent of th,
workers thrown out of employment
by strikes, but 1882 per cent o
those thrown out of work by lock
outs. Turning to the causes of strikes
be expected, that the chief cause i
!. the demand for an increase In wages
r More than 81 per cent OF all strike
: we're for this cause alone. Tn
9 next most fruitful cause was disagree
o ment concerning recognition of unioI
y and union rules. This also was tb
K chief cause of lockouts. To quot
:. further from the Commissioners re
- port
n THE greatest number OF strike
that occurred In any one industr
= was in the building trades, whic
embraced 26O2 per cent Of al
strikes and 49, per cent of all 81
Establishments involved IN strikes.
, 'In the coal aud coke industr
q were 8. 0s per cent Of all strikes an
: 9.39 per cent Of establishments In
- volved In strikes. Many strikes wei
, found in the following industrie,
= Boots and shoes; clothing, mems
foundry snd machine shop; and &
=, bacco lcigars and oigAretts1. II
!, coal and coke industry included mol
= strikers than any other industry, q
q 30 more employees thrown out
= work. The second industry In ord
" In this respect was the buildir
y trades. In the building trades vel
1919 per cent Of all lOckouts, mo
- than one half Of all the establish
. ments involved, and about 30 p
: cent of all the employees locked o.
: and of persons thrown out Of work.
= The percentage Of the total nun
- Der Of strikes In the principal indu
trial States we're ~ follows: NJ
York, 81. rs per cent; Pennsyivan
113l per cent; Illinois. 9s6 .
st cent; Massachusetts,. 7.55 per Ger
er and Ohio. 6.9p per cent. OF L
L. strikes, 25.l2 per cent Of the tot
nd number were in Pennsylvania. 81.
y. per cent ia New York. - 81 per CO
y in Illinois, csc per cent in Obi
It's 5.25 per cent In Massachusstl
III These states named were also I
A. states in which the greatest. numb
Of lOckouts occurred.
he The number IN line ct the loo