The labor journal. [volume] (Everett, Wash.) 1909-1976, 1913-07-25
published by order of Everett Trades
CounciI.)

San Francisco, Cal, July s, 1918.
To All Central Labor Councils, Greet
ings:
! Dear Sirs and Brothers-The Light
and Power Council of California de-
sires to submit the following on be-
half of the men out on strike against
! the Pacific Gas and Electric company
for the consideration of organized
labor in the United States and Canada
and trusts that your organization will
see fit to take favorable action in this
matter and support the strikers NOR
ally and financially to the fullest ex-
tent of your resources.
! For years the workers of the Light
and Power industry have had power
full corporations to contend with for
| living wages and conditions In many
instances these corporations consist
emily fight the organization of their
employees and maintain departments
for this purpose, as in the case of the
| corporations in Los Angeles In and
around the Bay Cities some individual
/ organizations have been more or less
! successful in getting somewhere near
equitable wages through their unions,
but year after year this has been
made harder and harder
] Recognizing this fact and that some
; thing had to be done in the matter,
the Light and Power Council of Cali
fornia was organized February 10,
1913, and is at present composed of
} the following craft:
} Boiler Makers, Stationary Fireman,
Machinists, Gas Workers, Electrical
Workers.
} In the case of the latter a condition
exists on the coast for which neither
the Electrical Workers nor any other
) element in organized labor in the West
is responsible, namely, the non-affilia-
tion of the organized Light and Power
Electrical Workers with the American
Federation of Labor, but these men
are all true trade unionists, progress
sive and true blue, hence in the forma-
! ton of the Light and Power Council,
we found that if we were to be sue
cessful we would have to take condi-
J tions as they presented themselves
from which we were to obtain results.
Three years ago the machinists asked
the gas company for an eight-hour day
and were refused. A strike ensued
and the machinists were whipped by
} the company. The gas workers have
been contending for better wages and
conditions, and last year the company
refused any increase to their men as
, well as to the electrical workers, and
even refused to arbitrate the matter.
The firemen for years have been con-
tending for a siX-day week, but have
been unable to gain same through
their individual organization.
! After the formation of the Light and
Power Council, joint agreements were
drawn up and presented through same
, to the gas company, who first refused
recognition VI Sdlu CoulCll, SldLlHo
that they would only do business with
, individual organizations. A vote was
taken on the matter from our affiliat-
ed locals and as a result of this vote
the company changed their attitude
and agreed to recognize our council.
Then began negotiations in behalf of
our membership and this resulted in
} strike being called against the Pa
, cific Gas and Electric company on
the morning of May 7, 1913, which
strike has been in effect ever since.
There are about 1850 men out, di-
vided as follows One hundred and
sixty-five firemen, 10 boiler makers,
525 gas workers, 80 machinists, 40
electrical workers
You will understand that the ne
gotiations have been going on for sew
eral weeks, and the company had
trimmed their force to the very low
est possible number to still maintain
efficient service. Had they been run
ming normally, the number called out
would have approximated between p
1 500 and 5000 men. Since the strike
has been called we have had many
obstacles to meet in the way of gun
men, scabs, iniunctions, and in San
Francisco the opposition of some men
in organized labor because of the fact
the electrical workers affected are
not affiliated with the American Fed
GRAFTON of Labor.
The McNulty faction of electrical
workers, through L. c. Grasser, their
international official, on May 21,