United labor bulletin., 1914-09-12
PUBLISHERS WANT
SCALE REDUCTION
Plan for F0remen to Be Given
AutoCratiC Authority
Submit Proposition at Sundays Meet
ing Of typographical Union and Ask
for Committee Of Conference

A genuine surprise was sprung at last
Sundays meeting of Denver Typographi-
cal Union when a letter was read from
James II. Smythe, general manager of
the Denver Publishing Company, asking
that the union select committee to
confer with the publishers on a proposed
new scale of prices and change OF work
ing rules in the composing rooms of the
Rocky Mountain News, Denver Times
and the Denver Post. The Denver Ex-
press was not party to the request.
Accompanying the request was a pro-
posed contract which the publishers of
the three newspapers requested the
union TO consider. II provides for a re-
turn to the piece scale for machine com
position and reduction OF so cents per
day for all time men and an addition
of half an hour to the present work day.
IL also provides that the foreman shall
be made autocrat and sole arbiter of
: all matters affecting composing room
working conditions. In fact there is not
n single modest sentence in the rather
lengthy document. Another request is
that the number of apprentices allowed
each office be largely increased and that
maehinists' assistants be not members OF
the union. Another proviso is that n
regular must work at least l6 days each
foreman. under the publishers proposed
contract. Is at all times made the sole
judge Of a workers competency. The
paragraph covering this point reads;
The foreman OF the composing room
shall be the sole judge Of journey
mans competency as a workman and
his general fitness TO do the work OF
the office, and may at any time dis
charge anyone considered incompetent
without regard 20 length Of time en-
ployed."
And vet another paragraph does away
with the reset Of magazine or nd mat
triccs or other features used The pres
ent lunch time Of 30 minutes allowed
within eight hours d. cut of and all
employees required to work the full eight
hours.
Of course most Of these propositions
are contrary to both the l. T. Il. and
local union constitutions and cannot b.
entertained by the union.
The proposed scale provides for
piece system on machines running from
: cents per thousand ems for agate, or
81 point. to l3 cents for II point. for
day work, with an additional cent per
thousand for night work This would
reduce the present scale for operators at
least 81 per day. For time work the
publishers propose Ss25 for day work
and si.ls for night. reduction Of so
cents from the present scale
After this remarkable document had
been read. printed copies Of whih were
furnished members present at the meet
ing, a motion prevailed for appointment
Of committee Of five. including the
president, and secretary. TO prepare a
counter proposition on behalf Of the
union. After appointments made by the
q.
lows; President Frank y Pulver. Score
tary Frank c. BirdsSll. Angus, Koc-ter
Of the Pos, chapel. John 4. Collett OF
the Times chapel and FL c. Close of the
News chapel Before the proposition
drawn by this committee is presented to
the publishers IL will be submitted TO
and concurrcd in by n special or regu-
lar session of the union.
The newspaper scale now in effect in
Denver was made by the national arbi-
tration board Of the international Typo
graphical Union and the National News
paper Publishers Association. I'D c
Close and y. L. Pfcrdcstellcr represented
the union before the board which met at
indianapolis. The scale. which was n
change from the bonus system that pre-
vailed for several years. became cffec-
tive July ~. 1910. and was to run in
definitely. or until either party TO tho
agreement. that j. the local union or
local publishers. gave 30 days notice of
a desire to open the scale. In compli-
aucc with these terms the publishers
gave notice at the August meeting that
they desired TO open the scale for
amendment. and at the September meet
ing. which was last Sunday. they sub
mitted n new contract and asked for
appointment of conference committee,
l. ,...,
above.
IL is the general feeling among the
members that they will stand pat on
the present scale and office regulations.
The Globe Express Company offers