The labor journal. [volume] (Everett, Wash.) 1909-1976, 1913-12-26
TO PREVENT STRIKES.
Success of the Canadian Cancellation
Law In Labor Disputes.


Law In Labor Disputes.
Recent awards of higher wages to
railroad men under the Erdman con-
citation act and the resultant petition
OF railroads for advances In rates to
compensate them have brought to the
front once more the subject of adjust
ment Of labor disputes Though lin
tied only to the operating force of
railroads and though criticised I'm some
importan1 particulars by railroad OFF,
cials. the Erdman law has been of val
The principle 1t embodies might well
he extended to other classes of rail
road employees. to street railways and
other public utilities and finally to
mines and manufactures. The public
has II direct interest in labor disputes.
for the public suffers loss and incon-
agent for the public, the government
state and national, can properly take
hand in averting or adjusting strikes.
Opinion inclines more to Cancellation
and mediation in preference to COM
pulsory arbitration. The natural hui
man resentment against compulslon
initiates against the latter method
The alternative method of compelling
the employer who proposes lockout
or the employees who propose to strike
to defer action until investigation. con
Citation and mediation have been tried
has worked with marked success in
Canada and might well be adopted in
this country.
The Canadian law is the product Of
a strike In the Alberta coal mines in
1906. which caused fuel famine In
the northwest. accompanied by much
suffering and even death. An appeal
to the Hon. W. L. Mackenzie King,
then Canadian minister of labor, was
made by the settlers of Saskatchewan
in which the following sentence sum-
med up the situation:
We are informed that those persons OPP
Grating the mines of the people are dis
putting over their rights, regardless of the
right of the people to live.
Mr.. King secured the passage by the
Canadian parliament of law requir-
ing that no industrial strike or lock-
out should begin until the dispute had
been referred to a board of concilia-
ton. composed of one representative
of each party and a chairman to be
selected by these two. If they can
not agree on Il chairman that mem
Der of the board is appointed by the
minister of labor Thirty days notice
must be given by the party proposing
to change the existing status in an in
dustry. and that party must apply for
board. The boarl has power to com
pei production of documents and to
take evidence under oath, but is pri
marily board of Cancellation and
mediation If it effects II settlement
it simply reports to the government
If it fails 10 adjust the dispute it pre-
pareS Il report. which is published
broadcast. telling what is the real trOu
bic and what should be done to pre-
vent II strike or lockout If lockout
is begun by an employer without no
tice and without applying for board
he is subject to II fine of 800 to $1,000
a day as long as the lockout continues
ANY employee who strikes in viola
ton of the act is subject TO fire Of
$40 to 500 every day he remains Oh
strike
This law proved so effective that
during the first five and half years
of its operation. out of 1872 disputes
brou~ht before boards. strikes were
avertpd in all except fifteen cases
There has been only one street railway
strike and this was settled on the
basis of the boards award. There
have been but four railroad strikes.
while among men employed on docks
and in loading ships. who formerly
struck almost every spring, there has
been none Portland Oregonian.