Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1908-04-22
Machine Shop Force Quits Work
Because Company Reduces
Wages
FORTY SEVEN MEN AFFECTED
Probable That Machinists and Their
Helpers at Oskaloosa and Mon
mouth, Ill, Will Also Strike = Wage
Reduction Affects All Machinists,
and Also Many Helpers.

Refusing to accept the reduction In
wages, which the company has put In
force, and In an attempt to compel the
management to reinstate the old scale,
the entire force Of the local Iowa Cen
trail machine shops, with one excep-
tion, struck at $3.50 o'clock this morn
ing The force which quit work to-
tails forty-seven men, including ma
chinists, their helpers and apprentices.
There is a likelihood that the few
machinists and their helpers that are
employed in the round houses Of the
company at Oskaloosa and Monmouth
will also strike. Notice has been sent
them of the strike here. but late this
morning the company had had no no.
tice that the men at these points had
gone out.
Reduce Wages 4 Cents.
A reduction of A cents in the wages
Of the machinists, a cut from 40 to So
cents, and also reduction Of the help
ers' pay varying according to the rat
ing Of the individual. precipitated the
strike. This reduction was put in
force on Monday, April 10. The shop
employees, who refused to accept 1t
permanently, did so temporarily until
j. j. Stratton, of Chicago, an agent Of
the International Association OF Ma
chinists, could lay the case before
General Manager L. F. Day. in Mime
apolis. This appeal was without re-
suit, and Stratton returned from Min
neapolis Tuesday. The strike, which
had been contemplated as a final
measure, followed.
No Scene Marks Strike. F.
An uniformed person, who might
not have been aware of the shop
hours, could easily have mistaken the
strike for the shut down for the noon
hour. There was no scene or demon
stration. Those of the employees who
were not informed of the exact minute
when the strike was to be called. were
quietly informed by members of the
shop committee. When $3.50 arrived,
all Of the men, with the single excep-
ton of one nom union machinist, left
their iathes, drills and other ma
chimes, doffed their overalls and jack
cts, rolled them under their arms, and
left the building. Their going was or
derby and they did not stop to linger
at either place.
E>.>> 4. AA,>L D>l.a>l
The machinery of the shop was kept
running after the force left, as there
were one or two car men who were
using machines, and the boiler makers
are working in the same building. OF
the men who quit, there are twenty
one union and three non-union ma
sixteen machinists' helpers.
and seven apprentices. The latter are
in no wise involved in the wage re-
duction, but they are so closely allied
to the machinists they went out, too.
Three machinistss and four helpers are
employed at Oskaloosa, and two ma
chinists and three helpers at Mon
ILL., There are no apprentices
at eother place.
The force Of the local shops was
greatly reduced late last fall, and at the
time the strike was called it was much
more than one-half than at the time a
count was made in October. At that
time there were forty-nine machinists,
thirty-one machinists' helpers and
ten apprentices on the pay rolls.
Contend Cut Unreasonable.
Members Of the machinists' local I'M
ion who were seen this morning, con-
tend that the cut which the company
has put in force ds unreasonable and
that no reduction has been made in
the wages Of uhe same branches of la
Dor in the Minneapolis & st. Louis
shops at Cedar Lake, MINI. 1t is also
their contention that there has been,
no chance to arbitrate, altho they were
not willing to say whether they would
accept any reduction at all, in order to
effect a settlement.
The company notified not only the
but also the boilermakers
and blacksmiths in February, that a re-
duction would go into effect early in
March. No schedule was presented un-
til General Superintendent ID. c. Moo
nan brought one with him few weeks
ago, which the company proposed to
put in force. The machinists say this
schedule was presented as the determ-
nation Of the company for the en-