The San Juan islander. [volume] (Friday Harbor, Wash.) 1898-1914, 1914-03-13

wage of $2.25 "a day and time and
One-half for overtime, the Interna-
tional Union of Shingle Weavers,
Sawmill Workers and Woodsmen has
addressed communications to the log
ging camp operators and lumber and
shingle manufacturers of the county.
The minimum wage, local mill and
camp workers believe, is the point
which will be opposed by the employ
ers. The union men hold that no
man with family can live on less
than $2.25 a day and that the effic-
le44cy Of the employees will be in
creased by working on eight-hour
bass and the stimulus of the cur
tailed production of the market by
the introduction of the eight-hour
day will offset any loss which may be
incurred because of the minimum
wage.
The action of the union follows the
meeting held at Aberdeen on jan
uary IL. when it was voted to ask
for the eight-hour day with the min
imum wage of $2.25 and to demand
that this be granted on May 1, if an
effort to reach satisfactory agree
ment with the employers failed. The
unsteady condition of the lumber
and shingle markets has worked a
hardship on both employees and en-
ployers, the union workers say, and
the introduction Of the eight hour
day would lessen the production and
thereby cause the market to stiffen.
Convention Agrees
At the convention it was agreed
that curtailment of production to
meet market demands was needed.
Some favored a close down during
the dull season. Others argued that
this would not solve the problem, as
during the period of operation the
market would be gutted and the
price of product depressed. The mill
workers were of the belief that the
reduction of working hours would
best meet the situation.
An initiative measure, which pro-
poses that eight hours shall consti-
tute days work in every industry
in the state, has been filed with the
SECRETARY of state. If this bill is,
enacted, mill workers say, it will
place Washington manufacturers on
a difficult competing basis with Brit
ish Columbia, Oregon, Montana, Ida
no and other wood products manu-
facturers of the East and South. For
this reason, they declare, the manu-
facturers are being asked to adopt
the wage scale as outlined by the
union. If the manufacturers re-
fuse to adopt the scale submitted,
they say, the organization will sup
port the bill for the introduction OF
an eight-hour day.
The letters sent to the local manu-
facturers by the union say that the
organization has no intention of in
volving the timber industry IN
statewide strike, which the united
opposition of the employees would
mean, to secure that which the vot-
ers of the state could secure by the
simple use Of the ballot, and by re-
ouiring wait of but a few months
longer"
Operators State Conditions
Local mill operators say they
would be glad to grant their employ
es an eight-hour day if market con-
ditions were such that they could op-
crate their plants at a profit on such
a basis. Shingles and lumber tney
saw. are selling at price that bor-
ders on the cost of manufacture at
the present time and the enforce
ment of an eight-hour day with a
minimum wage of s2.25 would re-
suit in a general close-down OF the
Sound plants.
Many of the mill workers now
draw wages not in excess OF $2.25 a
day. they point out and the granting
Of an eight-hour day would De ols-
astrous to the industry as they would
be unable to compete with manu-
facturers in other sections VINO WORK
their employees ten and eleven nours
day at much lower wages tnan IS
paid here. II the eight hour scale
with q minimum wage OF 20 was
nation wide. they say, it would not
work 4 hardship on any one sectlon
and prices would be adjusted n ac-
cordance with the cost OF mannlac-
ture.
rockingham manufacturers would
not say last night what replies tney
viii make 70 IL eonmunicafiol-
from the union orEanisat ton.