Denver labor bulletin., 1915-09-04

that have come and gone since that
time.
There were few cigar factories in those
days west of the Mississippi river until
the Pacific coast was reached, and cigar
makers leaving the East to seek their
fortunes in then wild and woody West
very often found themselves stranded
in Denver, and the few manufacturers
that were here often took advantage of
their circumstances and paid them what
ever they pleased for making cigars
which was usually below what it should
have been. This condition was what
caused the cigarmakers to get together
and form the union and establish a uni
form bill of prices and regulate shop and
stock conditions. The bill was presented
to the manufacturers and agreed to by
them without much objection, for they
knew that it would be hard to get other
cigarmakers If they allowed their men to
go on strike. Everything went nicely
for n number of years after this. The
union grew in members and the manu-
facturers increased in proportion as the
popularity of Denver made cigars grew
with the public. With two or three
small factories at that time employing
half dozen men each and half a dozen
more employing one to two, we have
now forty-five factories employing from
one to one hundred and fifty each
The first serious difficulty that the
union was involved in was during the
panic of 1893, when the West went to
pieces and the manufacturers, fearing
the worst, decided that the only hope
for them was to ask the cigarmakers to
work for 50 less per thousand than they
had been getting. The members could
not see it that way and the result was
that the manufacturers laid up a big
stock of cigars and one cold Saturday in
February 1898, when they paid the
members off, informed them that the
shops would close indefinitely. This, of
course, was lock out and was so con-
strued by the union which applied for
the lock out benefits from the interna-
tional. which were granted, and after
five months resistance compromised with
the manufacturers on the basis of 81
reduction. the other 81 to be restored
when times got better. Times did get
better after few years and the union
reminded the manufacturers about their
promise to restore the 81, which after
some parleying was done. The compro-
mise could have no doubt been agreed
upon without the loss of so much time
in the beginning, but the majority did
not see it that way and neither side
was willing to give in, so it took five
months to adjust the difficulty.
With the exception of adjusting the
price on some particular job at differ
ent times there has been no general
strike or lockout in Denver since that
time. A shop now and then has been
involved. In 1909 a difficulty arose in
shop employing IS members which re-
quired six weeks to settle, but our bill
of prices was not in question. This diff
ficulty could have been avoided, too, If
little cooler judgment had prevailed in
the beginning on the part of both the
members involved and the employer.
But that is past history now and we
hone to profit by the unpleasant expe-
riences.
We are looking forward to brighter
days in the cigar business, as Denver Is
becoming popular in the West as cigar
manufacturing center, our manufacturer
finding market north and south and
west to the Pacific coast Some of them
started in business about the time that
we organized our union, both growing
proportionately.
We still have with us some of the
charter members. Charles Lord. our
first recording secretary, is running a
factory of his own and makes the famous
Mile High cigar Charlie ought to pay
for this adj; r. w. Strachan, our first
financial secretary, is employed by the
.. i. Meyer Cigar company as packer,
and +. S. Lynn is making perfectos for
the Dry Climate factory. Frank Bohl-
man. our first treasurer, died here
couple of wears ago. and +. NJ. Turner,
our first corresponding secretary, was,
when last heard Of, conducting a large
mercantile establishment in Reno, New.
The rest of our first members have
either gone into other occupations, left
the city, or died, but their memory will
be with us when nothing else is left.
They laid the foundation for one of the
NOSE substantial locals in the West.
"Here is to their health and their
families health, and may they live long
and prosper"
The local union in various ways as
sists our members financially. We have
a special fund set aside for that pur-
pose from which the members can draw
If the union is satisfied that the money
is required for legitimate purposes. The
members are allowed to return it at
small percentage of their wages weekly.
This fund is quite popular with our
members and has helped many of them
out of financial difficulties temporarily.
Aside from the local benefits paid, our
international pays to the members So
week out of work benefit Is weeks in
the year. S5 week sick benefit for l3
weeks year and total disability and
death benefit after two years member
ah;,, of from gE0 IN &E50