The copper era and Morenci leader., 1915-09-17
5OOO MINERS STRIKE IN CL|FTON-MORENC|
 MINING DISTRICT

Local prophets, prognostica- tors and statisticians are busy over the outcome of the deadlock but pre- dictions at this stage of the game are useless, and it is unanimously hoped that the struggle will not extend over a period of months and cripple the district indefinitely.
 On account of the failure to hold conference between the companies and the union the strikers demands are not known and it is understood that the walkout at this time is more for the purpose of recognition of the Western Federation of Miners which will pave the way for real negotiations between the Icompanies and miners. However, when seen by representative of the Era MT. Miller would make no state- ment further than to say that the wages to be demanded would be in ac- Icordance with the scale paid in Ray which would mean sliding scale ac- cording to the price of copper, the minimum wage being $3. .25 per day with 14c copper.
 Statement from Managers.
 Last spring the mining companies |operating in this district voluntarily Iput a sliding scale of wages in oper- ation, which granted to the employees a substantial increase over any wages which had been previously paid in the district. This action being taken in conjunction with the various other mining companies in the State.
 It has been understood that this sliding scale had given satisfaction to the employees, as no evidence to : the contrary existed until about a month ago when representatives of the Western Federation of Miners, having completed their labors at Ray, entered this district and began to spread the gospel of discontent amongst the working men.
 Public meetings have been held in Clifton, Morenci and Metcalf for the purpose of enlisting the support of the workmen and to interest them in a movement to organize locals of the Western Federation of Miners in these places, with the result that a large number joined the union.
 The local company managers re-
 quested their Latin-American employ ees to appoint joint committee to meet them on the 18th day of August
 last, at which meeting this commit
 tee was informed that if there was
 any question the employees wished to take up with regard to their
 wages, or working conditions, the companies were willing to deal with their employees direct, but could not , recognize the Western Federation of l, Miners, and suggested such meet
 ing with their employees after the present agitation had subsided.
 Nothing further in the way of ne gotiations took place until Saturday morning, September 11th, when re-
 quests were made upon the managers of the three local companies by com mittees of their employees to meet them in conjunction with Guy K. Mil Ter, an Executive Board Member of , the Western Federation of Miners The reply made was to repeat the
 statement made to the previous em ployees' committee, i. e., that the , companies were willing to meet theil employees as such, but not as repre- sentatives of the Western Federation of Miners.
 No demands of any character, nol
 any request for an increase ot wages, were made upon the respec tive companies, and no intimation ot , a strike was given. A genera strike, however, was called at clever
 o'clock the same night, and all em r ployees were ordered out. About 7 5000. men are now idle.
 t Since then, and up to the present ) no demands have been made. Par | of the men simply quit work, and tho |. others were forced out, and the vari l ous plants have been heavily picket l ed. Even the operations of the t electric light plants have been inter 7 fered with to such an extent tha i the Detroit Copper Mining Com l pany's employees at Morenci anc , the Shannon Copper Company's em y ployees at Clifton have been withou lights, and it was only with tht