The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1915-07-20
SIX HUNDRED men
HAVE QUIT WORK
ATBRlDGEPORT
Employees Working on Remington
Sub Contacts Called Out
EFFORT TO STOP STRIKE FAILS
Unless Plans of Labor Organizations
Fail 1900 Men viii Be Out
Tonight.

Bridgeport, Conn, July 2O.-Six
hundred machnests and bi'ieklaycrs
struck here today The men in the
Bridgeport Engineering companys
plant and those employed by the Co
lumbia Nut and Bolt company, the
Gaynor Manufacturing company and
Bullard Machinery and Tool company
we're all called out. The companies
were all working on sub contracts for
the Remington Arms company.
Bridgeport, Conn, July 20-Negotia
tions to bring about an amicable set
tlement of the difficulties between
the machinists and the Remington
arms and ammunition company en-
gagged on a gigantic scale in the man
ufacture of war munitions for the al
lied armies have failed. Labor lead
night that the first of the machinists
would throw down their tools and
walk out at noon today, "a hours
from the original time set for the be-
ginning of the strike. They added
that within a week all work in the
Remington shops and in the shops
of subcontractors would be at stand
still. Just how far the strike might
spread in other manufacturing com
munities of New England the labor
leaders were unable to estimate.
1t is said that it was planned to
have in the neighborhood of 500 men
walk out at first Then, according to
the plans made by the labor leaders
last night, one after another of the
various shops would be emptied of
machinists, The hod carriers work
ing on the new buildings being erect
ed by the Stewart construction com
pany for the Remington company
have already taken a strike vote to
follow the machnists out. There are
600 hod carriers employed at the
plant,
Unless the plans of the labor or
ganization miscarry today or there is
some unexpected development which
speedily leads to settlement of the
demands of the machinists, 1900 men
at least are likely to be on strike by
tonight.
The leader of the labor organiZa-
tions said that as soon as the men
walked out pickets would be put out.
Mr. Keppler said in his announce
ment that this is the biggest job we
have ever undertaken in this coun
try" Then he continued as follows !
''At this point ! want to make one
statement most emphatic. want it
known that if there is a big argument
in this town the people of Bridgeport
have no one to blame but Maj. Pen
field. We have tried in every way to
bring about peaceful settlement.
We want peace, but it looks as if we
cannot have it. AS for the state
ment by Mai. Penfield that German
influence brought about this. situation
! want to say this: If anyone forced
the issue it was Maj. Penfield. We
tried to confer with him. Even the
United States government recognizes
the right of the employe to confer
with the employer Maj. Penfield has
denied us that right"
Mr.. Keppler was asked what other
shops would be called out after the
men in the new plant of the Reming-
ton company went on strike. He
said he did not care to give the
names in order.
TO do that would be to show our
hand to the manufacturers, and that
is just what we do not want to do"
he said. 81 might add that in this
difficulty we have played the manu-
facturers as cleverly as they think
they have played us. You may depend
upon it, however, that we will get
everything in town, once we start
We will be forced to call out machin-
lists even in the plants not engaged
in sub-contracting for the Remington
people. 1t would not be right to have
some OF our men out on strike for
eight hours and the others working
in other shops for 10 hours a day.
Within week we will have all the
manufactures in the city tied up"
The Bridgeport manufacturers as
sociation at a meeting yesterday, ac-
cording to statement given out by
the secretary afterward, determined
TO stand as a body behind the Rem
ington company in its decision to
maintain an open shop.