The Roswell daily record. [volume] (Roswell, N.M.) 1903-current, 1907-04-06
The Contract System.

The Contract System.
The contract system has been the
cause of much controversy between
the miners and their employers. Ii
was to abolish this system that the
strike was ilaugurated by the Tellu
ride union in May, 1908 The Snug
gler Union mine at Tulluride was be-
ing operated under the contract syS-
tenn. A large number of the men who
were at work found it difficult to
make a living, many of them at tne
end of the month having barely
enough to pay for their board and
powder AS soon as the strike was
declared the company made provision
for working their proeprty with non
union men. Strike breakers were en-
pIoyed and tough characters were i'm
ported to frightel and intimidate the
strikers. The company converted it's
property into a veritable arsenal. On
one occasion the building where the
miners union was holding its meeting
was riddled with bullets and numer-
GUS union men were met on the trails
and assaulted. This eliminated in a
light between the union and non
union forces on the morning of July
3. resulting il victory for the union
and a capitulatiO1 on the part of the
company A settlement was effected
and scale of wages and hours formu-
lated which was satisfactory to all
parties. This agreement was never
violated by the miners.
From 1901 to 1908 many other
strikes of more or less Importance Oc-
Cured in different localities through
out the jurisdiction of the federation.
During the last few years there mas
n9rPntlV hAxa1 POnPpTta6 action
on the part of the Mine Operators AS
sociation directed against the unions,
resulting in strikes and lockouts and
making trouble generally, especially
in Colorado. In nearly every instance
the question involved has been the
eight hour day, and this particularly
applies to the state of Colorado, where
an amendment to the constitution pro
viding for an eight hour law was car
ried by a majority vote of AHA. 1t
provided that the state legislature
should pass an eight nour law apply
ing to all persons employed in mines
mills, smelters and blast furnaces.
Through the manipulation of lob
by maintained by the corporations, par
ticularly the Colorado Fuel & Iron
company and the American Smelling
e Refining company, the legislature
failed to ratify the mandate of the peo
pie. The miners and mill and smelter
men went on a strike so that popular
government could be maintained III
Colorado. While the eight hour day
was the main issue, there were .other
questions involved which caused much
satisfaction among the employees
of many of the mining and reduction
companies. Among these was the
blanket insurance system, three per
cent. of the mans wages being deduc-
ted by the company, in addition to the
hospital and physicians fees, making
a total of four or five per cent. This
insurance was not such as one would
receive from an insurance company,
but only protected the miners during
working hours. The fees for medical
attention did not provide hospitals and
nurses nor professional attendance upI
on the miners families In addition
to these exorbitant charges whicn
were applied to me- working for the
United States Refining e Reduction
for wages as small as $3.50
a day. There was also great discri-
mination against the union. Every ef
fort was made by the company to pre-
-ent the employees from organizing.
This was the primary cause of the
strike in Colorado City, eliminating
strike in the Cripple Greek district.
which involved III the neighborhood
Of $500 miners. So much has been
written about these strikes that it
seems unnecessary to review them.
There is one point in regard to the
Colorado trouble worthy of particular
mention at this time, and that is the |
assertion of the mine operators that |
he strikes were called by the execu- |
tive board of the federation. Moth |
ng could be further from the truth |
The strike was not declared in Grip |
pie Creek until every union in the
district had voted on the proposition
and from the individual action OF the |
members referred the entire matter |
20 the district union for adjudication |
and settlement The action of the |
district union was ildorsed By the ex-
acutfve board and later by the eleven |
-h annual convention.