The labor advocate. [volume] (Cincinnati, Ohio) 1912-1937, 1915-08-21
BIDS FOR MACHINISTS
TO WORK in ENGLAND
British Agent Wants War Work.
men Who Are Threatening
to Strike Here.
FEDERAL PLANTS MENACED.
Metal Trades Unions to Demand An
Increase at the Navy Yards
and ArScnalS.

New Gork.-Eor the third time within
week a representative of the British
Government went recently to the head
quarters of the International Associa-
ton of Machinists, 116 Nassau street,
and asked for American mechanics to
do war work in England The British
agents are especially busy at this time
in view of the possibility that strikes
III the eight-hour campaign of the metal
workers may make more mechanics
available for work across the seas.
w. II. Johnston, President of the In
ternational Association of Machinists,
said later that in the last ten weeks 10. 900
American machinists had gone to Eng
land, most of them on siX-month con-
tract at $3.50 a day with bonuses. He
said there was a standing order for as
many more, but they could not be OBJ
tained because of the manufacture of
war munitions in the United States.
While most of the American me-
chanics were at work in English muni-
tons shops and navy yards, hundreds
had been put to work on English ships,
some of them in the Dardaneles, Mr..
Johnston said. He asserted that not a
few of the American mechanics had been
slain by the Germans, and that the ques-
ton of pensions for their families was
to be taken up with the British Govern
nlent tr.G.
Labor officials announced that within
few weeks the metal trades workers
i'll all of the United States navy yards
and arsenals would demand an increase
i'll pay varying from Is to % per cent.
The men i'll the Washington Navy Yard
have asked for % per cent increase.
The men i'll the Government shops now
have the eight-hour day.
See Time To-. Action.
This move by the machinists is taken
at a time when they believe the Govern
ment regards its military equipment as
so important that it will take no chance
of industrial trouble.
Il believe there will be no strike in
the navy yards said J. ], Kepplcr, Vice
President of the machinists. 81 believe
our demands will be granted by the Coy
crnmcnt. That is all taken up with the
Federal officials direct in Washington,
and expect quick results
Only the heads of the Navy and Army
Departments know just how seriously
the country would be affected by a strike
in the navy yards and armories At
fewest, two dreadnaughts would be de-
layed in completion and two others in
QUILTING, and there would be tic-rp
of repair and maintenance work, all of
which could not be shifted to private
shops without percmptory action by the
Government.
There will be meeting here soon of
representatives of the eighteen machin-
lists locals in the New York district to
,1n,, a..
shops which have resisted the eight hour
demand. At the same time the EXecu-
tive Board will meet in Washington to
decide on what cities the campaign shall
be carried to next
The fight i'll New York really means
a fight against the National Metal Trades
Association, with the Garvin Machine
Company plant as the point of conflict.
The Garvin plant has been idle two
weeks because of a strike Of the two
hundred machinists whose action forced
out of work five hundred other employees.
An effort of the Garvin firm to get the
men back failed. The Metal Trades AS
Sociation is backing the Garvin Company
i'll its fight to beat the strike. Although
Henry {. Hunter, counsel for the asso-
citation, says some of the strikers have
returned, this is denied by the labor
leaders.
Mediators' Efforts Futile.
Colonel Michael !. Reagan, Mediator
Of the State Labor Department, who has
been trying to effect a settlement, said
that he was able to report no results.
The machinists' officials said they had
information that the Garvin Company
would try to start up with Strikebreakers.
l. or 1Cls NNh Nr1iill in,
such an event
going to work." he said. However, they
may get few bootblacks and walters,
hut they can't get machnists. 1t is fool