The Fargo forum and daily republican., 1913-08-30
In the Labor World
UNION MANS REPORT OF
REVOLT TN COPPER MINES

Under a Calumet, Mich date line,
the following account, from a union
labor standpoint, of the. trouble III the
copper mining district, was published
in The American Federation of Labor
News Letter:
On July %. 10000 men laid down
their tools and came out on strike.
Previously these men had worked in
the copper mines of the Upper PENN
Sula. These mines are known as the
Calumet & Hecla Copper Co., and are
owned and controlled by men who have
their homes in Brookline, suburb of
Boston, Mass. Some time before COM
ing out on strike. these men had or
ganized and became members of the
Western Federation of Miners. They
had been working a so-called ten
day. They were more than an average
Of eleven hours per day underground.
Their wages would not average $2.20
per day. | have seen their statements
and made a personal investigation of
the matter. AS low as 27 cents has
been paid for nine shifts work; another
got $161 for nineteen shifts work.
Some receive as high as SO per day.
And to cap it all, the companies de-
cided to make the miners handle the
drilling machine single (they weigh
over 200 pounds) which had formerly
been handled double. When a person
knows what it means drilling hard
rock, with a machine of that type,
operated by compressed air, some
times on a staging up in slope amid
dangerous roof and hanging rock, with
not one breath of air except the ex-
haust of the machine, the light just a
small flicker in the dark, you can un-
derstand why they revolt.
| The men held meetings, decided to
request recognition of their union, an
eight hour working day, minimum
wage of SO for underground men, and
| a proportionate increase for those
! working above ground, and that two
men be allowed to work on the ma
chimes as formerly.
| They request joint conference with
representatives of the company to try
to come to an agreement on these
questions. Their requests were me-
with scorn and contempt, and de-
cision to strike followed. At first thu
company refused to take the situation
seriously, stating that the strike woulc
collapse before the end of week; tina
they had ruled these men for fift!
years and had never recognized a uniO1
or treated with their men in that way
that they had always done as the!
pleased, and that they proposed to con
tinue to do So The strike is starting
on the fourth week, and out of thei
able to get one ton of ore mined, tram
med and hoisted, Notwithstanding tn
press has announced that the strik
was over and practically all the mel
back to work
Since the companies have realized
that the men are in earnest they hav
tried every means known to the mos
vicious, heartless and conscienceles
K slave driving corporation TO break tn
strike, but so far have failed utterly
The governor sent the militia. TIL
sheriff gave his office to the Waddell
Mahon strOng-arm gunner, importe
from the slum districts Of New Yor
| and other large cities.
The press has maliciously slandere
' anl deliberately lied about the miners
: cause, the miners, and their represen
tatives. The militiamen have drive
their horses on top of peacefulcitizen
on the sidewalks beaten up and intim
idated the miners in every way know
to a professional strike breaker in a
effort 10 discourage or scare them int
going back to work as slaves to tn
copper mine owners. In fact, Genera
Abbey in command of the troops, onl
differs from Chief Strike-Breaker Far
ley in that his work is done in a gov
ernment uniform, in the name of tn
state and is paid direct out of the peo
ple's money for his service. He i
even more able than Farley would b,