United labor bulletin., 1910-11-03
TO THE CIGAR SMOKERS OF THIS
COUNTRY:

10 The ClGAR SMOkEhS Ot If1lS
COUNTRY:
We expect that almost everybody
knows that there is strike in the cigar
manufacturing industry of Tampa,
though perhaps you may not be SO well
acquainted with the causes that have pro-
duced that strike. In order that every
body may be well informed as to the
causes that have produced this strike
and more particularly, in order to eau
ton you against the dangerous condi-
tions in which the manufacturers of this
city are trying to fill the orders that
come to them during the strike, we are
giving publicity to this manifest.
Be it known that we are not address,
ing you to put stumbling block in the
path of the progress of those factories
that are at work now-it is not our pur-
pose to prejudice your mind with false
statements.
The amount of work done in them at
present and the quality of it give us no
cause to be nothing but Indifferent as in
their existence, inasmuch as they are too
insignificant to do us any harm in our
plans.
We are going to expose to the public
in general the inside of those branch fac
tories that are working at present with
the moral and humane purpose of warn
ing the cigar smokers against the danger
of smoking the cigars that are being
manufactured by men arected by some
of the most shameful and repugnant dis
eases and at the same time to protect
our reputatian against the misrepresenta-
tion of the work they turn out which
might be put on the market as cigars
that have been manufactured in Tampa
by union men.
About the middle of the month of June,
the joint advisory board of the local
unions started a movement to organize
and bring into the International Union
all the non-union men that were working
in our factories. This resulted in the ad-
mission of the majority of the labormen
that were outside of the union We car
ried on this movement without making
any petition to the cigar manufacturers.
But the latter, who were anxious to find
some excuse 10 make stop in the manu-
featuring of cigars and take temporary
rest until they reduced the prices in to-
bacco leaf-which had been raised on ac-
count of the poor crop in Cuba this year
took advantage of this organization
movement and begin working towards
their end by discharging a large number
of cigarmakers every week during some
weeks, until finally they closed complete
ly all the factories that belonged to the
Manufacturers Association of this city.
When We saw this rough and unjust at
tack directed against us, We did all that
was in our power to avoid the conflict
that inevitably was going to confront us.
But seeing that the manufacturers insist
ed in making up an excuse to close the
factories, We decided to go into the fight
that was being provoked and then de-
manded. among other things of little i'm
portance. the recognition of our union;
no raise of wages was mentioned. The
manufacturers then understood that they
had pu-hed the conflict along the wrong
way. as the stop in the trade would be
much longer than they had need of, and
consequently their business would be
damaged. One of the weapons they
adopted then was to establish branches
to their factories outside of the city of
Tampa
The following manufacturers are the
only ones who have had any success at
all in this last plan; and even these have
not had any results half way satisfactory
to them, as we will prove:
NJ. Menendez & Brothers Grade mark.
.'El GenioD.
Corral and Brodisca (trade mark. Julia
Marlowe).
Cuesta & Rey (Fior de Cuesta & Rey).
Bustillo and Bros. (Charles the Iv).