New Britain herald. [microfilm reel] (New Britain, Conn.) 1890-1976, 1915-07-20
NOON WHISTLES SIGNAL FOR
BRIDGEPORT .MACHINISTS TO
HALT WORK ON MUNITIONS
1000 Men Lay Down Tools and Walk Out from Jobs
in Works Of Remington Arms Company and Four
Sub Contractors Disorder Reported.
MILITIA C GERS DENY KNOWLEDGE
re OF ARRIVAL OF ANY AMMUNITION

/ which went to the Remington com
pany plant to present demands on
Saturday admitting this said that the
nachinists in the main plant Of the
Remington company were not on
strike.
The machinists did not walk out
said he, they were locked in the
plant, we think. I too, heard the
rumor that Major Penfield had talked
to the machinists and had offered
them 81 day extra and an eight
hour day with an agreement. I do
not know how true that is I do
know, however, that the machinists
die not get out Of the plant during
the lunch hour to talk with us. We
did not see them. But you can de-
pend on this: We will get them when
they lay off at o'clock We will
set them then or know why
The situation is all up in the air
know that men walked out at some
Of the contracting plants
The Bridgeport Engineering COM
pany was said to have had a. portion
OF its force of mach;nists walk out.
The management of the Billiard Ma
chine Tool company denied that any
the day that the Columbia Nut and
Belt company admitted the walk out
Of its machinists. This, however, was
later denied by an official Of the COM
pany.
Walkout Successful.
Labor leaders asserted that the
wa lk-out was successful at the branch
Of the Remington company known
az the Middlestreet plant Thirty
men quit there. itwas said.
". ]. Keppler, International vice.
president Of the nlachinists union was
seen In the Mechanics hall. where
4 special meeting Of the structural
iron workers was in progress. He
said he was taking things coolly and
awaiting returns Z Then he continued
as follows:
II can make no definite estimate
Of the number Of men out until my
however. am not afraid Of the out
come
Failed in Work.
..In regard to the big plant Of the
Remington company: The situation
has been SO beclouded by the state
ments of Samuel Gompers, president
and others that it is no wonder the
men there did not know just where
they stood When they walk-out
this evening they will stay out. It is
apparent that the men supposed to-
have acquainted the men in the big
plant failed in their work. We will
see to it that they thoroughly under
stand the situation when they leave.
the main plant Of the Remington com
pany tonight. None of us at all are
afraid of the ultimate outcome.
Millwrigllts Not on Strike.
q. G. .Griest. General Manager of
the Stewart Construction company,
which is erecting for the Remington
company the largest plant of its kind
in the world, issued statement lo-
day in which he denied that the mill
Wrights were on strike. He said that
the millwrights has come to the COM
pany and asked to be relieved from
their work until their status should
be determined by the American Fed
Grafton OF Labor. 1t was a dispute
between the machinists and the car
penters over the status of the mill
Wrights which precipitated the pres
ent trouble. Mr. Griest said, further,
that the Stewart company would
finish the new buildings as far as
possible and then turn them over to
the Remington company This in
dicated that further work on the
new buildings might be delayed in
definitely. Mr.. Griest said the propo-
sition to use. wood instead of steel
in completing the buildings had not
been considered. A number of hod
carriers and tile layers were layed off
this afternoon because there was no
! work for them to do.
In addition to the newplant Of Rem
ington Arms and Ammunition Co.
strike calls were today issued for the
machinists working in the Bridgeport
Engineering company, the Columbia
-Sut and Bolt company and the Gay
nor manufacturing company. The
men were to walk out at noon. Less
than five hundred machinists are en-
ployed in the three last named plants
At the Bridgeport Engineering
company, the men demanded that
they be given the strike call because
they said they were dissatisfied with
working conditions.
Makes Rifle Bullets
The Gaynor Manufacturing COM
| pany Is engaged on making rifle bull
let's, for Great Britain and her allies
When announcement was made
| that the men in these three plants
would walk out all was in readiness
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