Norwich bulletin., 1915-07-23
BridgepOrt's Near
Strike is Settled
ANNOUNCEMENT MADE BY VICE
PRESIDENT KEPPLER.
LABOR CLAIMS VICTORY
KeppIer Believes Negotiations Will
Be Entirely Successful "unless
Samuel Gompers compIieates
Thinss"-Aetion Not Yet Ratified.

Bridgeport, Conn, July al. j.
Keppler, vice president OF the inter-
national Association OF Macnlnlsts'
ANNOUNCED here tonight that an ann
icable settlement of all LABOR trouoieS t 80
in Bridgeport where thousands OF
men, women and girls are engaged
night and day in the manufacture OF
munitions of war for the use "
Great Britain and her allies, was
about to be made. His announcement
carried with it the assurance that un-
less the plans miscarried evey per-
son now on strike would be back at
work on Monday morning.
An official of the Remington Arms
and Ammunition Company having
more authority than Major w. A
Penfeld, works manager, was salo 70
have promised to place IN Wrlting
provisions for an eight hour day.
stable wages and future employment
The announcement caused labor
men to proclaim a victory, which,
they said, would be the first in the
campaign to secure an eight hour
working day throughout New Eng
land.
Gompers to Call on PenfieId.
When Samuel Gompers comes here
tomorrow with several associates he
will it was said, call upon Major
Penfield for the purpose of talking
over the charge that German in
fluences' were responsible for what
trouble there has been here
More or less mystery surrounded the
agreement the labor men said they
were on the verge of securing. Mr..
Keppler suddenly left Bridgeport
yesterday for New York. This
morning he telephoned John A
Johnston, international vice president
of the Structural Iron Workers, that
he was about to return He mem
toned a written agreement and Mr.
Johnston understood he meant that
one had been secured.
This afternoon Mr.. Keppler came
back to town. On his way from the
railroad station to a hotel where the
union men have neeb making their
headquarters he maintained a strict
silence. Once in the hotel he enter
ed a conference with his associates.
Tonight, in reply to questions, he
made the following verbal statement:
Il believe all the people on strike
will be back to work Monday BY
Sunday expect that we may be able
to give more definite information
abount the settlement. / can say that
wages, hours and future employment
will be well provided for and that the
agreement will be in writing. 1 can
not and will not divulge at this time
the name Of the man 1 talked to. It
is enough to say that he is above
Major Penfeld in authority. We went
over the majors head. Had he seen
us in the first place the whole trouble
would have been averted.
Determined to Get Eight Hour Day.
"The Stewart Construction COM
pany and the Remington company are
getting together. When this first
tropble started one company see the
other, and the other referred us back
to the first one. AS for the sub
contractors we belive they will get
in line. If we have trouble in their
shops the shops will be dealt with in
dividually. We are going to get an
eight hour day for Bridgeport; we are
determined to do that.
81 believe the negotiations will be
entirely successful unless Samuel
Gompers complicates things when he
comes to town tomorrow.
Action Must be Ratified.
THE proposition will be put up to
the machinists themselves tomor-
row. Then it will be put up to the
Stewart Construction Company and
the Remington Manufacturing Com
pany. Everything will have to be
ratified.
"As for the questions Of the status
OF the millwrights, that also will be
settled. 1 understand it will be taken
up at the meeting called by Mr..
GomperS tomorrow. Mr.. Gompers
will not discuss the strike when he
sees Major Penfield. In addition to
that the carpenters, who claimed jur-
fsdiction over the millwrights, have
now shown disposition to arbitrate
the question with the machintsts.
carpenters said there was nothing to
When the trouble first started the
carpenters said there was nothing to
arbitrate.We are all going to get to-
gether and make an effort to settle
the question of Jurisdiction. We will
hold meeting in New York tonight
for that purpose.
What Labor Gained,
TT is q victory for us because by
this strike we have gained several
things. When we finish we will have
assurances Of an eight hour day in
the Remington plants. The girls in
the Union Metallic Cartridge plant
have been given increases that Will
bring their wages up in some cases,
to $f1.4O. whereas before they received
$7.25. They also win have the eight
hour day. The 126 girls who went on
strike returned to work today.
This thing win cost the Remington
people lot of money, but they will
gain much by it. Primarily they viii
secure the cream of the workers of
city of good machinists. The machin-
lists, learning that the Remington plant
is working on an eight hour schedule,
will leave the shops where they are
now working ten hours ands come to
the Remington plant"
Manufacturers' Statement.
The Bridgeport Manufacturers,=a Sag
sociation, in a statement issued late
today, asserted that a total of SS.
workers, men, women and girls, were
out at the Union Metallic Cartridge
plant. That number was said to in
clude workers who might be sick. The
association added that theE15 girls the
manufacturers say left went on strike
yesterday, returned to work today, but
that Il others walked out atsnoon. Ac-
cording to other appended figures
about 200 persons, disregarding struc-
tural iron workers, and millwrights,
were on strike ata5so' clockS1hi after
noon.
Girls were still on the picket line
at the q. NJ. c. plant tonight. An oc-
casional man picket was .also seen
around s9heSoth &plantSsof1 14heSRem-%