Wheeling majority. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1907-192?, 1912-11-21
West Virginia Operators
Fool Men Into Slavery
Wicke Fears To Face
Fair Minded Arbitrators

1t is tribute to the good sense anG
AIR mindeoness of the people OF Bel
.aire that they have not accepted a,
ace value. the stories of the strike al
lie Imperial packing room, told by
he management.
Victor e. Wicke contends that he is
/ much abused man. He tells every.
jody who will listen that he was i'm.
posed upon as manager OF the Imperial
~ the men in the packing room ana
hat he was forced to let them go be-
-ause their WORK was incompetent.
that he is not and never was opposed
50 unions and that he has not and
never had any desire to beat down
wages.
AND yet
He has 20 men now trying to do the
work that 20 did before. That should
answer tie charge of incompetency.
He offered the packers an agree
.nent to sign which put them on day
wages at less than they were making
~ piece work, and less than the
packers make in the other union
plants of this section.
He says he is not opposed to union
.sm, and yet the ''iron-clad" that he
compelled the workers to sign contain
ed a clause by. which the poor, over
awed employee agreed to never belong
o union while in the employ of the
imperial.
He says that it was only the indivi-
duals in the packing that he could moi
get the proper service from, and yet
ne offered all of them an opportunity
OF rNr1Z hui
lWay their union rights.
He says he is not opposed to unions
and yet he discharged man after man
whose only crime was activity in the
+union-men whom he admitted were
good ,workmen by offering them posi-
tons as petty bosses on condition that
they would betray their fellow en-
ployes.
He complains that the packers did
not conduct their affairs in the bust
ness like union manner, and yet by
1Ischarging comm1tte emen as rapidly
as they became officials of the union
ne kept the men in a demoralized
state and their shop committeeman
green and inexperienced in union
methods.
He Fears Arbitration.
If these lungs are not true, why
does he refuse to face the packers be-
fore impartial arbitrators? He will
ell any one all sorts of stories about
the packers, but he dares not face the
packers while he tells these things. Ii
e is right, what has he to fear? II
ruth is on his side, and the packers
are wrong, incapable, incompetent,
iisloyal, unreliable and irresponsible,
why does he shrink from proving that
n open arbitration?
The packers from the first have Of
.ered to lay the case before any board
Of arbitration. If they are in the
wrong it would easily be proved. As
ong as Wicke lodges this course he
is convicting himself of insincerity
and proving that he knows that the
packers can prove their contentious
AND CAN ALSO PROVE THAT HE
BROUGHT ON THE STRIKE DELL
;ERATELY, PLANNING 1T BEFORE
HAND AND SELECTING THE TIME
THE PLACE AND THE CAUSE
WITH THE DELIBERATE ATTEMPT
70 DESTROY THE PACKERS UN
ION.
Scab~Squibs.
The following scabs are in the I'm
perial packing room: Anderson, Nc
Michaels brothers, ]. B. Burns. F
Helm, all boarding at 4427 Noble
street; Ed. Kuntz, Corapolis, Pa.
Scott Campbell, Detroit; Jim Adams
and David Lebow, of Bellaire; LiVings
on. Moundsville; Blackburn, Jeanette
Pa; Ike Goldfain, Wheeling; FREQ
Smith, Miller, Riley, Dawson, kann
South Gambler and James Gentlle, al
If Pennsylvania, and the following
italians. Bocco. Felix, Gonato, Jell
Wineone. Martini K. GiIchrist, Tedes
chi and Denacanzo.
Repainting Building.
The building used by the str!Ker'
is headquarters is being repalnte'
and the sign is down temporarily.