The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1907-06-09
TART STATEMENT
BY MILL OWNER
Speak of Strike of Operatives
as a Tempest in a
Tea Poi.
SITUATION is REVERSED
EMPLOYEES PROPOSE TO EN-
FORCE OPEN SHOP.

The differences existing between the
mill owners and their employees have
led the former to issue the following
statement.
"A few striking mill workers have
been airing their troubles through the
city press for a week Most of these
reports have been so misleading that
we are compelled to give some of the
facts in the case, although we had
hoped to avoid publicity because the
news OF a strike among the building
trades, however trivial il may be, has
a very bad effect on building operations
and frightens prospective builders and
capital, and we believe this strike to
be of such small consequence as to
be unworthy the attention and publici-
~ bestowed upon it. 1t is quite anus
ing to read that for a long time this
mill has employed only union men," or
this mill has persisted in employing
non-union men," since some of the mills
have been in operation for nearly half
a century and has employed hundreds
of men in that time, while there was no
union known here until a very short
time ago, and it has had official recog-
milton only about six weeks About a
year ago some imported agitatOrs per-
suaded some OF the men to join and or
ganize a union, and during the past
Salt Lake have become members OF 1t,
some because of threats, some because
they were led to believe they could not
otherwise obtain employment, and some
from conviction.
The First Notice.
About six weeks ago the mill own
ers received by mail printed copies of
the working rules of the Mill Mems
f~Cnion, which rules were to take effect
June 1. These rules, il is true, StudiOuS-
~ avoided asking a wage advance and,
indeed, provided q minimum scale
about 81 per day less than the present
wages paid, but they did seek to i'm
pose other impossible conditions. Not
until the last week in May did we hear
anything further, and at that time in
some of the mills committee of en-
ployes waited on their employers to dis
cuSS the working rules card In the
course of the conference il was asked
why the wage scale had been put so low
and whether they were willing to sub
init to Il reduction of the difference
We were told that the union contained
a number of apprentices and helpers
who were not finished mechanics. but
who must be protected. and that the
minimum wage scale was intended to
apply to them. but that skilled me-
chanics would work for neither the
wage scale nor the present wages paid
as soon as they obtained recognition of
the union. They intended to ask for an
advance of about is cents per hour,
they said They also told us that they
would force US to put union labels on
our product and that nothing not so
labeled would be allowed to go into any
building in this city. Other conditions
were suggested that were absolutely
unreasonable and beyond our power
TO grant the details of which we do
not care to make public unless forced
to do so by the future attitude of the
union. The answer given them was
that we would run open shops
ON May 81 Mr.. Spaulding, who told
us he was the business agent of the
union, and two other union officials
visited one or two of the mills and stat
ed that q meeting would be called of
the union officials, employees and mill
owners to explain just what was meant
by the working rules card. He stated
that they did not ask recognition of the
union, and since we are now paying
more than the wage scale asked and
working the requisite number of hours
land have been since long before there
was any uniOn) we are at loss to
know whether he meant ii then or
whether they mean it now in the press
reports, since that seems to be the only
thing they openly ask for that is not
now in force through voluntary action
on the part of the mill owners years
ago We have never been advised of
I the calling of such a meeting and have
therefore had no opportunity to attend,
Neven had we desired to do so.
Toe Strike Called.
ION June 1, without any notice what
ever to the owners, all the union men
at the Taylor Armstrong company s
plant walked out, and three men at the
salt Lake Building company's plant.
The remaining four union men at the
latter mill resigned from the union and
remained at work. The places of the
strikers were filed the next day. At
Asper-Noall companys mill all the
men remained a { work, being nOn-uiion.