New Britain herald., 1915-07-26
DARK CLOUD RISES ON PEACE HORIZON
 IN LABOR DISPUTE

HOLDS UP WORK IN
 SUB-CONTRACTING FIRMS Unexpected Complications Cause Kep-
 pier to Ask for Special Conference
 of Labor eaders-DecIares Inci-
 dent Has Mixed Up the Situa-
 tion''- Though Strike Was Practi-
 calIy Settled.
 Bridgeport! July 26 The prospects for an immediate settlement of labor troubles in Bridgeport factories pro- d.cing war munitions al which there were strikes last week were not thought to be as good today as on Saturday. st M
 The claim is made that d refusal by the Remington Arms and Ammunition company to take back it's, nfachinists raay reopen the disagreement.
 Iron workers who; struck last week returned to their work on the new fac tory for the Remington company this morning {, under a vote of their, union taken Saturday evening. When they learned thatst R Remington. company had refused to re-empioy> those ma. 6ciinists who struck the iron workers stopped work. This made idle large number of bricklayers on the building.
 It was not possible to. tell just how many men are out.
 The Manufacturers association was to hold a. conferences la5er m the day. to discuss the situation.
 J. J. Keppler, Vice-President of the International association of Machin- ists, temp called off confer ences he had arranged with heads or sub-contracting concerns for discus sions of the eight-hour day demand which was among the concessions granted by the Remington Arms and Ammunition company, and sent word to T. A. Johnston head of the Struc- tural Iron Workers of America, who had returned to their lab0rs on the new buildings of the Remington conn pany, and to Jchn Flynn, an organiz- CT of the International Carpenters Union, requesting a conference on the new turn of affairrs.
 Apparently Settled.
 The labor differences at the Rem ington plant and in several other con- cerns involving machinists and mill wrights which occupied attention of various officers of labor unions during last week were apparently settled by an agreement made public by MT. Keppler late Saturday. This agree ment was termed An adjustment and termination of the present con- troversy of the Remington Arms, Union Metallic Cartridge company and Stewart Construction company, and provided for a new working schedule equivalent to forty-eight hour week for machinists and other trades which made a demand, and re- instatement of all employees who were participating in the strike.
 The change in hours was to benefit many thousands of other operatives. Mir. Keppler and other labor leaders who were here stated that the agree ment would end the troubles, and all strikers would return to work today.
 Turns Down Strikers
 So far as was learned during the forenoon all those who were on strike last week were ready to resume work when the gates of the Remington and other concerns were opened. In a short time word was sent to the head quarters of the unions, that the .cem- ington Arms and Ammunition com pany refused to take back strikers
 The information later given was that superintendents refused to take back strikers
 Mixed Up Situation
 MT. Keppler who expressed sur prise at the developments, said that his opinion was that these few su- perintendents 1T. refusing to take back employees has mixed up the situa- tion," in not recognizing the agree ment reached with the heads of the concerns on Thursday last. Mr. Kep- pier was asked if the agreement lle had referred to was reached with Marcellus H. Dodge of New York, head of the Remington company, and i he said it was not Mr.. Dodge who agreed for the company. MT. Kep- pier said 1t had been arranged thA, conferences should be held with tha heads of several sub-conrractors rela- tive to an eight hour day, but word was sent to those who had been dele- gated to serve as conferees on the part or the union, to delay those confer enees until the present complications had been settled.
 It being reported to Mir. KeppIer that the iron workers who had struck on new buildings of the Rem,ngron company had resumed work, MT, kep- pIer sent word to Mir. Johnston of ths ron workers. calling attention to the situation and requesting that he ar- range conference. A word likewise was gent to MT. Flynn tof the Car penters' union, and Mir. Kepnier ax