New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1915-07-18
BIG ARMS STRIKE
In NEW ENGLAND
PLAN OF UNIONS
Almost Twenty Thousand
Bridgeport Workers Will
Go Out Monday.
rFrom a star Correspondent Of The Trbune.l


Bridgeport, Conn, July 1.-THE
strike against the Remington Arms
ard Ammunition Company and the
Remington Union Metallic Cartridge
Company, which will almost certainly
involve all of industrial New England,
will begin Monday, when the union
machinists walk out of the Remington
factories. Major w. G.. Penficld, gem
Ell al manager of the Remington arms
PLANT, refused TO treat to-day with
delegation from the international AS
sociation Of Machinists. In fact, he
would not even receive the labor men.
And this automatically begins the
strike. The major takes the position
l. can do nothing until his own en-
ployes have declared strike.
The twenty-three important labor
leaders here are confident they Will
win in the end. Frank Jennings, one
of the vice presidents of the structural
iron workers, said the Crisis was
golden opportunity for the union men
and has sent for organizers TO oring
the unionized, including the wom-
en- workers, into line. The labor lead
ers have been investigating conditions
IN New England for the last three
months, and the result OF their WORK is
shown by industrial unrest in New
Haven, Springfield and BOSTON, as "ei
as in Bridgeport. -,
The local situation is tense. Upon
bridgeport alone depends actually and
;nc;dentally the completion of no less
than S1.50O. 900 of the $1,000, 100000
worth of war contracts placed IN this
country. The fact that about dozen
,,attern workers walked out OF the
Like Torpedo Boat Company's shops,
hero ubmarines are being built Tor
the navy. shows the significance OF the
q Re- Betyeen 10000 and 10000 men will
70 taken away froL Bridgeport if the
strike is not settled quickly, the labor
roar nredict. While the trouble at first
will affect solely the Remington com
r,,nies. in time it will spread TO the
firms doing sub-contract work for the
Remington factories, and after that TO
cther bridgeport plants. So the Manu-
sarturers' Association here, expecting
,bis development, has resolved to
stand together against the strike.
The union leaders declare they do not
wish to cripple the city, but they insist
s rn,lv upon recognition OF the unions,
an eight-hour day, no reduction IN
wages, and the alliance OF the mill
u,riobts with the machinists. The open
inc move is not directed against the
niants doing sub-contracts for the Rem.
qton companies, because in some OF
tbese factories work is also being done
for other great manu- tcturlng inter-
eets with whom the I..on have not yet
made issue. J. J. Keppler, wee -presl-
dent of the machlnlsts, sald To-Day
although the unions would, II necessary
FIGHT to the end, they did not wish TO
work hardships on factories conspicu-
Gus for fair play toward the unions.
7. was Keppler who, with John A.
Iobrson yice-president of the struct-
,rai IRON workers, attempted to see Ma
80 Penfeld to-day. The two men said
,,Iay bad authority from Local &c Of the
r,achinists. which has full power to call
str;kes throughout Bridgeport. At the
Bennington plant they saw +. W. Car
nenter' general employment agent. VINO
referred them TO John NJ. French, the
rnblicitv man. The answer sent back
bv Major Penfield, as reported by kepp-
lor was tha. the major had nothing
to confer about, as all of the men IN
volved were on the payroll OF the stew
art company, and he had no reason Tor
a conference until the men on the pay
roll of the Remington Arms and AM
munition Company were affected
The Remington company has re-
newed vigilance. Work on erecting
The poles for the electric light zone
around the plant was rushed to-day
Additional guards were stationed.
The bricklayers have Joined the
ranEs of the unsatisfed and will walk
out if the nod carriers quit. II Is
certain the hod carriers Will go out
with the machinists. Vincent Defalco.
their international organizer, says his
union has already voted TO take this
stem. In his organization here are
7l2 men, 500 OF them at work on the
construction of the Remington fact
ories. Machine and metal workers en-
ploved on night shifts at the Reming-
ton and other plants will join the
strike. they said. to-day.
Jennings left this afternoon TO take
nm the same questions pending here
with the Winchester Repeating Arms
Company. in New Haven. he said he
would deal with the Eastern Westing-
house company, in Springfield. and the
Becker Brainard Milling Machine Com
pany in Boston. on the same issues;
Jennings is in charge Of New England
for his union. and predicts a titanic
labor struggle ia that section.