United labor bulletin., 1909-10-15
CIGAR srRIPPERs UPHELD.
Arbitrators Decide in Favor Of Union
Wages and Conditions.

President Samuel Gompers of the A.
F. of L., John .itchell, national secre-
federation, and Edward A. Filene of Bos
ton. the arbitrators appointed at the
time of the temporary adjustment of
the strike of the Cigar Factory Strippers'
union at the H. Traiser shops year
ago last May, have just rendered their
decision The strike had been to main
tain the unions wage rate from any re-
duction and also to prevent the sending
of stock to be stripped to a nonunion
factory in New York in violation of an
alleged previous agreement on that
question and caused an interest of ma
tional extent owing to the question in
volved.
The arbitrators are unanimous in
granting the union its claims on wages
and working rules and regarding treat
ment of stock. Mr.. Filane gives a
minority opinion as regards the right
of having stock treated wherever de-
sired. On that point Mr.. Filane says:
THE situation presents itself to me in
this way. l may justly say that the
union may justly claim an award of
a living wage within its jurisdiction,
and to the manufacturer that he shall
not have the work done in this jurisdic-
ton unless he pays such a wage But
the manufacturer must have the right
to move all of his factory to another
state and to manufacture part of his
output there should he feel so inclined.
believe, however, that the union has the
right to follow him to such states and
organize the operatives there So as TO
compel him to pay union wages there"
Concluding. Mr.. Filane says: MAY /,
in conclusion. point out another situ-
alton which, if remedied, might furnish
solution of the question at issue. 1t
might be satisfactory to the Strippers'
union, and it seems to me desirable and
just. 1t would come if the Cigarmak-
ers' union would refuse to give its label
to any cigars excepting those the TO-
bacco in which was always stripped by
union workers; that is, if they would
come to an agreement with the Strip
pers' union by which the label would
union making. The objections 10 de-
barring the Traisers from having their
tobacco stripped elsewhere would be ov-
ercome. At present they seem insur-
mountable to me-"
Messrs. Gompers and Mitchell as the
majority give decision on the place
of-handling-stock question which virtu-
ally lays down principle of organized
labor on all such matters and one which
would apply equally to other cases of re-
cent origin. They say: There has been
unanimity of opinion in regard to the
award of wages and most of the condi-
tions of the award Differences of opin-
ion have occurred, but over most of them
the arbitrators have had no jurisdiction.
We have been constrained to the conclu-
sion that having agreed to award the
of wages, it would be devoid
of any meaning did we decide that the
work might be performed by workers in
any other city than Boston and particu-
larly at lower rate.''-Boston Globe
+ r +
Smoke the La Belle cigar and boost
home industry.
r + + r
ROAD RECRUITS "ScABS" IN CITY.
The Baltimore G. Ohio railway. in its
effort TO reduce the wages of its machin-
lists by putting all its shop work on a |
piece-work basis, is struggling desperate
ly to break the strike of the machinists
who walked out to prevent the road from
taking the proposed action
Strike-breaking headquarters have been
established at Walters hotel, 4O7 State
street, where strike-breakers are being
recruited under the guidance of Red"
Collins, acting as the agent of Master
Mechanic Harris of the Baltimore & Ohio
Twelve hundred strike-breakers are
scheduled to leave for Baltimore, whence
they will be distributed to be used as
boilermakers No boilermakers' helpers
are being employed. as the intention is
to make two scab boilermakers do the
work of union bolermaker and helper.
Chicago Daily Socialist