Polk County observer. (Monmouth, Polk County, Or.) 1888-1927, 1912-09-24
WHY THEY FAVOR IT.

Occasionally some one asks why is
the Salem coterie of printers so anX-
ious to fasten a fiat salary law upon
Oregon. The reason is plain. The
present state printer has refused to
sign contract with the InternatiOn-
al Typographical Union for a closed
shop, declaring, rightly, that state
plant, doing public work, should be
open to every citizen of Oregon who
is competent to do the work required
in the shop regardless of his labor
affiliations. This has aroused the ire
of the Salem printers who would
greatly profit if the shop was closed
to all but union members. In order
to show to what extent the men
would profit and thereby greatly in
crease the expenses Of the office, The
Observer herewith prints the follow
ing interview recently had with
union printer of Portland as to the
benefits to accrue to the members of
the printers union in case the closed
shop bill drawn by a bunch of Salem
printers shall become a law. We ask
ed him to be absolutely square with
us, as we had always been with him,
and tell us honestly whether the law
was to benefit the state or the union;
and then his attention was called to
a statement printed in a Salem news
paper by one of the most rabid sup
porters of the law in which he de-
clared that he would favor "the very
highest scale" which he could get
the state printing board to stand
for" and that he 7favOrs a very diff
ferent division of the legitimate pro-
cceds of the state printing than that
favored by Mr.. Duniway, the present
state printer"
This union printer finally spoke as
follows, and his reasons for favoring
the closed shop law are such as are
held, without doubt by others of his
union. He said substantially the fol-
lowing eve try to quote him cor
rectly):
well, the new law would increase
the salaries of employees from $21
per week as a minimum to $27 per
week and make room for nearly three
times as many printers as at present.
OF course those paid above the scale
would be increased i'm like proper
tion. The employees are to be paid
by the month under the proposed
law; therefore there would be no lost
time, as holidays and lay-offs would
be paid for as full time. Also, as
state employees, we would have two
weeks vacation each year on full pay, |
and Saturday afternoons off during
the summer. The pay roll would |
easily run to $4,000 or $4,000 a |
year, which means that instead of the |
present force we would have at least |
forty men at the increased scale. |
Can you blame us for favoring the |
fiat salary bill?
"The new law provides that only |
union men will be benefited, as the |
State Printer will have to contract |
with union men only other state |
owned plants do not have contracts |
and can therefore employ any print |
er who applies, union or non-union,
1t Is expected that under the con-
tract clause in the law non-union
men need not apply for work at the
oregon state Printing Department.
"ln printing offices there is usually |
a fund collected from employees to
pay for towels, soap. laundry, etc.
This fund is replenished by an assess
ment of from 25 cents to 81 per
month for each member. when the
new law goes into effect the state
win pay this bill. Added to this will
be free postage. letterheads and en-
velopes to all employees, which | un-
derstand was the case until the year
1907.
"rhe Secretary of the new Print
ing Board is a member Of the / r.
T.. and is under oath to aid his fel-
low members. So we can look to him
for all kinds of favors and assistance.
His oath of office to the state need
not have been taken, for he cannot
keep il.
Cribs printer is i'm error here; the
Secretary of the Board is not re-
qured to take an oath to the state)
In case the State Printer should get
gay and require an employe To do
a days work. the employee can ap-
peal to the Secretary. whose obliga-