Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1912-03-01
Union Men Pleased.

President Golden of the United Tex
tile Workers of America said. upon
being informed of the concessions an
nounced by the Arlington mills.
Il am pleased to heer it. Unless It
affected all the operatives, skilled and
unskilled irrespective of nationality
we could not endorse it.
John Golden of Fall River. interna-
tional president of the United Textile
Workers of America, came here. to-
night to act &c Il new leader of the
textile strike Before news of the
concessions Jy the Arlington mills Of
ficials was made known Mr.. Golden
said
L am in Lawrence TO stay to the
finish. I shall direct the organization
of the forces that are or may be al
lied with the American Federation OF
Labor or the United Textile Workers
of the World. which are to work TO-
gether IN this matter. We shall work
independently of the Industrial Work
ers of the World, for we cannot recog-
niZe that organization. Then Mr..
Golden gave out the following ofiicta!
statement:
L am in Lawrence to decide upon
the official demands to he made upon
the min owners by the United Textile
Workers of America, the American
| Federation of Labor and the represen-
| tatives of the local Central Labor
| Union: and failing to secure favorable
consideration of their demands. which
will affect the wages and working
conditions of all the textile worker
! skilled and unskilled. 10 plan for the
immediate Inauguration of a general
strike which shall affect every depart
ment i'm every mill in this city.
| iii becomes necessary To call such
| a strike, il will be done in the usual
deliberate and effective manner which
| eharacterizes the procedure of Amer
| lean Federation of Labor unions in
! general. This means that it will en-
brace not only the textile workers.
| but also affect the entire working
| force Of the mills from the man VINO
shovels coal under the boilers up To the
| highest skilled operative.
I'VE probably shall request higher
| percentage of wage increase FOR the
heretofore low paid unskilled help
| than viii be asked by the more highly
paid operatives. And | feel assured
| that the latter will heartily fall in with
| such a plan which simply means do
ing something more for those who need
| it most
| Otner grievances, such as the preml-
! UNI system, will be attended to ana
definite plan outlined for their ADJUST
ment by representatives of the leglu-
| mate union movement. who have peen
| working very patiently and assidu-
oIsly for several weeks.
| az trust that no such drastic step rs
| the declaring of a general strike VIII
| be necessary. In saying this 1 feel sure
| that I voice the sentiment not only OF
the trade union movement, which is now
firmly established in Lawrence, but of
the entire community as well.
"If the mill owners really are in earn
est in their expressed desire for rnous-
trial peace we will give them an oppor-
tunity to make good. Ii they fail to rise
| equal to the occasion general strike
necessarily must follow. Whatever the
consequence the responsibility will rest
entirely upon the shoulders of the mill
owners from now on.
'Our whole object is the bringing about
of industrial peace and better under
standing between employer and employee
in the future"
the Industrial Workers of the World
said. tonight:
at is all revelation to me. l do not
| know how the members of my organiza-
ton will treat the matter. / suppose it
will come up at the next regular meet
ing. which will be held, tomorrow morn
ing
| The seven weeks strike, which be-
gan on Jan IL, was caused by the re-
fusal of members of the Industrial
Workers of the World to accept cut
of two hours pay per week, the mill
owners having met the requirements
lof a new state statute calling for
reduction from Sc to 54 hours of labor
with corresponding cut in pay.
The Industrial Workers of the
World forces We're increased by addi~
itions from the trades unions until o.
i 900 of the 3S, 200 workers had left the
, mills.
The demands of the strikers in
creased as the weeks went by and
there seemed no prospect of "A settle
ment. Four separate demands wer6
made, each embracing some additional
grievance. The final request was for
So hours pay for "a hours work, as
before the operation of the new sta
tute, an increase of Is per cent ~
wages, the abolishing of the premium
system and double pay for over TIM.
work.