The Socialist and labor star. [volume] (Huntington, W. Va.) 1911-1915, 1912-05-31

the members of Local No. 1913 Bakers
and Confectioners Union walked out
of all the local bakeries which refused
to grant these modest and just de-
mands, three weeks ago and the
strike is still on!
The contract between the Union
and the local Bakeries expired on
April 80. A new agreement was sub
mitted to the employers, specifying
that 10 hours should constitute days
work, and that no work should be
performed on Sundays.
You would naturally think that in
this year of our Lord nineteen and
thirteen any employer would jump at
the chance of signing an agreement
with men who were willing to work
10 hours for a days pay!
But you have another think coming.
You're not acquainted with the Hunt
ington Bakery owners. They come
back at the workers with little con-
tract of their own, calling for r.
hour work day and a $500 per week
reduction in wages In addition to
these modest demands the employers
ask for several special privileges"
for John B. Stevenson's establishment
The Columbia Baking and Bottling
Company.
Stevenson's Scheme.
That the counter proposition made
to the Union by the employers is the
unreasonable and unjust product OF
the scheming brain of John B. Steven
son, owner of the Columbia Bakery, is
plainly apparent by the fact that two
whole sections are devoted entirely
to securing special concessions for
this establishment, which would not
be granted to its competitors. As wit
ness these extracts from the employ
ers' proposed contract:
Sec. 3. All work to be performed
in day time, EXCEPTING AT THE
COLUMBIA BAKING & BOTTLINC
COMPANY.
Sec. 8. Two apprentices are allowed
at each shop, EXCEPT THE COLUM-
BIA BAKING & BOTTLING COM
PANY THEY ARE ALLOWED TWO
ADDITIONAL BOYS WHO ARE NOT
TO BE CONTROLLED BY THE
UNION.
BY just what hypnotic influence
John B. Stevenson has lined his COM
petitors up for fight with the Union
to gain for him this special privil-
eye" club with which to bat them
over the heads with is not exactly
clear to the normal man, but that
there has only been two of the en-
ploying bakers wise enough to scent
his little scheme is fact.
Fleckenstein, Patsy's Bakery, and
Tucker signed up. K. Fleckenstein,
who owns the Fleckenstein Bakery at
$40 Third avenue, and markets the
famous Tip Top bread. and G. w.
Tucker, whose bakery is located at
Ais Eleventh street, and Patsy's
Bakery at Ninth avenue and Sixth
street, have signed the agreement |
presented by the union and their |
product is the only union labeled
bread now being handled in the city.
That the demands CT the bakers
are reasonable, to q fault. no right
thinking man will for moment deny. |
They are willing to work, in the fervid |
atmosphere of a bakery. 10 hours a |
day. Thev are asking for these long
hours of toll the modest wage of SIS,
per week.
They insist that Sunday snail be a |
day of rest for all workers. The mas
tiers object TO eliminating Sunday
work because, hey say, they would
be compelled to fill Mondays orders
with bread baked Saturday. The
bakers come back with the positive
assertion that they can rest Sunday
and still have fresh bread baked and
ready for delivery at $50 Monday
The workers contentious are just !
and right and it is up 10 the people of
Huntington to see that they win their
point. Huntington people owe the
Bakers Union gratitude to an extent /