Evening journal., 1915-09-08
800 EDDYSTONE MEN
ARE OUT ON STRIKE
Conferences, Leading to Set
Element, Held by Contrac-
tors and Labor Leaders
CONTROVERSY HINGES
ON ACTION OF FIRMS

Conferences leading to a. settlement
of the strike of union workmen en-
ployed in erecting the buildings at
Eddystone for the Remington Arms
Company were held yesterday by labor
organizers and members of contract.
ing firms.
Steam filters, equipping the power
house, yesterday joined the strikers.
who number nearly 500. Their ac-
quisition to the ranks of the men who
are out was received joyously by the
strike leaders, who said they now had
tied up every branch Of new work at
Eddystone.
Without the powerhouse in opera
tion, they said, none of the depart
ments that the arms company expects
to begin running on October 1, could
be opened. The men on strike in
clude $50 carpenters, 20 piledrivers,
35 elevator erectors, 40 millwrights.
40 roofers, 80 metal lathers, $50 steam
filters and plumbers and 100 laborers.
Settlement of the strike, which be-
gan Monday week ago, when carpen-
ters and Joiners walked out, depends
on whether the contractors agree TO
pay the union scale of wages and re-
duce the number of working hours
from 10 to eight. All firms, with the
exception of two, have said they
would meet the union demands.
The controversy now hinges on the
action of Leeds & Durham. of this
city. who have a contract for concrete
foundations, footings and rough floors.
and the Raymond Pile Company, of
New York. The latters contract is
for driving piles. Of1cials of these
two firms have refused to treat with
the strike organizers. The oontrac-
tors who said they would recognize
the demands of the strikers are James
Kelly, Jacob Myers & Sons and James
Armstrong, of this city; the Keystone
Roofing Company, of New York, and
/ two Chester firms.
All of these firms are engaged in
erecting buildings for the rifle manu-.
featuring company, the contract hav.
ing been assumed by the Baldwin Lo.
comotive Works, to whom the plant
will revert when the Remington Arms
Company completes the manufacture
of rifles, shrapnel and war supplies
for the Allies.
Labor organizers, who are being di
rected by Jack" Finn, international
organizer of the Carpenters and Join.
ers' Union, say the men are eager to
return to work, but none will violate
the strike order until assured the
union demands would be recognized
by all the contractors. They further
say the workmen of the contractors
who have consented to pay union
wages could not return until the agree
ment was signed by all the builders
Private detectives employed by the
Remington Arms Company and pickets
of the strikers are posted daily along
the roads leading to entrances of the
arms plant There have been nc
clashes, and the strikers say they
will do nothing that could be con
strued as an illegal act.
Omcials Of the Remington Company
however say the strikers have beer
threatening men and in several in
stances have been successful in pre-
venting them from going to work. II
is expected the detectives will be
sworn in as deputy sheriffs, unless the
strike is settled soon, in order to ar
rest the pickets. At the present time
the guards merely are pirate en-
ployes, it was said, and cannot make
arrests.
Prolongation of the strike and the
possibility the rifle plant may moi
open until considerably after October
1 are upsetting plans of the company
las we'll as being a costly incident
There are seeral hundred skilled
workmen on the payroll who are re
ceiving a weekly wage, but cannot b,
put to work until the buildings ar,
completed.