The state herald., 1907-08-16
WYOMING MINERS WIN VICTORY.
Hlsksr Wages and Better Hours Bring
Dove Of Peace.

Dove Of Peace.
Cheyenne, Wyo-Permanent peace
in Wyoming coal fields.
Eight-hour workday effective Sep
tember /, 1907.
Wage increase Of approximately ~
per cent more for eight hours thai
formerly paid for ten hours work.
Improvement In working conditions
all along the line.
Companies to furnish the check-or
men, insuring union control OF mines.
Increase affects 10000 men.
Wyoming fields completely organ
lied. the southern fields always having
been non-union.
These, In brief, are the terms of set
tlement agreed upon at the joint con,
yention of members OF the United
Mine Workers of America and the op
orators, representing every mine in the
Wyoming district. 1t is one of the
greatest victories ever achieved by or
ganized labor In the West and puts the
| Wyoming miners on the same basis as
the well-paid fields of the middle and
central West and the organized fields
of the far East.
1t is also another tribute to the di'
plomacy of the president of the min
ers. John Mitchell, and their district
| leader. Thomas Gibson. who. together
with ]. ]. Hart of the southern wy
oming fields and James Gridley of the
northern. composed the final sub-com
mittee that brought about an agree
ment satisfactory to both sides. The
| negotiations lasted four weeks, and at
no time has there been danger Of q
break.
]. ]. Hart. representing the Union
Pacific mines and employing about
5000 men, has done for the miners
| of southern Wyoming what no Other
mine manager has done for twenty
years in that field, and he has acquired
the reputation of the great compro
miser."
The scale committee on both sides
was pared down several times in or
der to expedite the work.
The miners OF the northern fields
have been organized for some time, bu
the agreement is the first that has
| been entered into In the southern
camps for nearly n quarter OF cen
tury. While the contract only runs fol
year, It has paved the way for per
manent peace. rs the demand for Wy
oming coal is so great that there is nj
danger Of shutdowns or the necessit,
of reducing the force or the men.
wages.
The increase applies to every mar
who works around the mines, both n,
to hours and wages, and the working
conditions are changed. so that tn,
1 tutII
tions.
| Wages will be added to the roll
that will amount TO hundreds Of thou
sands OF dollars each year. and 4
means prosperity to Wyoming miners
1t puts them on the same plane as th'
Montana fields and leaves only Vir
ginia and southern Colorado miner
working under conditions which II
some instances are considered by tn,
miners leaders flt for dark age days
The 20 per cent is figured us an nv
erase. as the Increase varies In tn,
different fields. and In different ciasse
OF work. In some instances demands
were made that represented an In
crease OF % per cent. and there wer,
granted. Other workers were In
creased 10 and Is per cent and ever,
employe. from the smallest boy TO tn,
hardest miner. comes In for some sor
OF raise.
The elghthour day and the addition
OF the check-off men in the COMPANY
Office are the two features that tn.
men fought the hardest for. They sue
ceeded in having the eighthour passe,
In Wyoming. but IL was doctored s,
thoroughly that the first time II wa
put to test II was declared unconsti
tutional.