Aberdeen herald. [volume] (Aberdeen, Chehalis County, W.T.) 1886-1917, 1914-03-20
LABOR TROUBLES
AT LUMBER MILLS,
Situation Of the Pacific Coast.
Is Reviewed BY an East
ern Trade Paper
LUMBER PROFITS SMALL .
Open Shop Insisted Upsz.
Through Dread Of Profess
ional Union Agitators


With the possible exception Of th&s
saw mills of the south, the labor
question has been more of problem
with the mills of the Pacific north
west than anywhere else in the c0un-
try. Labor in all lines along the wesC
coast has been we'll organized. and
the saw and shingle mill industry
has had its experience and its trou-
bles. At various times there has
been a great deal of criticism of wes-
tern shingles. but it has resulted less.
from the disposition of the manus-
facturers to put out an inferior article
than it has from their inability t0.
induce their labor to do the right
thing. Recently the mill and camp.
employees held meeting on the north
coast and came. to a decision to make
certain demands on their employers
on the first of next May. It is cur
rently reported that these demands,
WOuiu SOhoAoI VI 0AA OA6ht hVoA WOAh~
ing day with minimum wage for
common labor of $3.50 per day; all
overtime to be compensated at thaa
rate of time and half, and II q mills
ran more than one shift of eight.
hours, the extra shift to be consided--
ed as overtime. 1t appears that some
of the employees of certain milla de-
cided not to wait until the date set,
but to try the matter out in advance.
This has resulted in bringing the mill
operators together in q stand tor
what they believe their rights.
To those familiar with the situx-
ton in the lumber industry Of that.
region it is known that the saw ni3A
owners have hardly been-trading old
dollars for new ones during thu DasS
three or four years. The new de-
mands Of labor would cut the work.
ing time down twenty per cent and
permit no reduction in the wages
The mill men do not see their way
clear to granting these demands. and
have come to the conclusion that
they will continue to operate their
mills ten hours per day, or shut them
down. They propose to operate their
plants as open shops. They do not.
go so far as to say that their employ
es shall not belong to labor unionss
but they decline to treat with labor,
agitators, saying that they will settle.
matters on which there is a differ
ence of opinion between them and
their employees, with their employees.
Employment in saw mill is nOr
sinecure. This will be admitted by
the employers of saw mill labor.
Yet. in recent years, the installation
Of many labor saving devices has
made the work much easier than iE
used to be- Even at that, the manu-
facturers are not disposed to quibbles
over either hours or wages whsrs
they can see their way clear to linz
prove either and still make . fair pro-
fit for their operations. What they
resent the most, and what they viii
not submit to, is dictation from walk
ing delegates and labor bosses whose
chief interest is to foment trouhlA.
between employers and employed
The trouble, at present II confined
to the mills Of Everett and ON WllaDa
harbor. The Everett mill men shut
down their mills Saturday night and
issued an announcement that tAey
would open up March under thss
open shop policy; that NO labor axi--
tators or union organizers viii b@
permitted in the mills. and Il any
employe is found violating this ruiz
he will be Immediately discharged.
no employees will be refused work
because of having Joined = union
but no boycott against any o. thu
mills will be permitted. The WillApA
harbor mill men have made practi-
cally the same announcement. They
announce that all differences must bey
taken up by actual employees with
the mill management. There will be
no cut in wages, and the mill ownsa
will not arbitrate with any union
committee.
We have always endeavored 70 take
a fair view of the labor union Qaes-
ton regardless Of the fact that va
have had some experiences that vsre
particularly exasperating. We b.
lieve that labor unions can be Of
great benefit to their memberk But
we are equally convinced that many
Of the practices of labor unions -
more harm to the cause Of labee tAaA
anything else could do. Unosu1aa4
~ the experience of the western MIN
men has been of a character t1at has
Iconvinced them that operatioss uDdsK