El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1915-10-25

THE committee of strikers from tn,
Clifton Morenci Metcalf copper
strike district Of Arizona ISSUED
the following statement after the close
OF their conference with the mine man.
ayers of the shannon, Arizona and De
troit Copper companies:
THE farcical conference iust con-
cluded between ourselves and the man
ayers Of the companies operating in the
Clifton-MOrenc district clearly indi-
Gates the necessity of compulsory aroi-
tration laws for the settlement of labor
disputes.
..NO Intention to Settle
The action Of the managers through
out the conference has clearly indi-
Gated TO US that they had no intention
of ultimately arriving at an adjustment
The demands that We presented have
been in their possession for over a
month and yet they professed to be a5
solutely ignorant of them.
Profess Ignorance of Conditions.
They have also professed to be absO-
lutely ignorant Of the conditions which
have caused this strike, in spite of the
fact that an investigation by unpreju-
diced members Of the press has dis
closed the fact that our contentious
have been well founded and that cOndi-
lions have been exactly as represented
by US
Money Cost. $4,000 Hourly.
THE time wasted in this socalled
conference is costing the employees Of
the district and the stockholders of the
companies about $4,000 per hour Rath-
er a high price in order that a commit
tee selected by the employees should be
able to explain to the managers the
conditions existing in the district and
concerning property the managers have
controlled for years.
Managers Reject Arbitration
I'VE have found the managers ignO-
rant Of conditions governing collective
bargaining with their employees. appar-
emily ignorant Of the working condi-
tons in their own plants. With these
conditions confronting US we have re-
peatedly urged arbitration and this fair
offer has been repeatedly rejected
I'VE deplore the conditions that exist
in the ifton-AIorenci district. realiz-
ing that the state and the public must
also suffer in disputes OF this kind
We deplOre the conditions that existed
previous 10 this strike and it was for
the purpose Of improving these cOndi-
tons that we tried repea tedly TO get an
adjustment before the arbitrary action
OF the managers closed the plants.
COmplainantE Were Discharged.
For years the employees have been
dissatisfied with their working condi-
tons and the low rate of wages paid
Yet every time a man expressed himself
as being dissatisfied he was immedi-
ately discharged Petty foremen fixed
the rates Of wages and there was no
scale for any class Of employment The
rate was as little as the employe would
work for.
Organization As Last Resort.
Finally, after years Of injustice. the
employees, realizing that any attempt to
present their grievances would result
in immediate discharge, invited organ
izers of the Western Federation of
Miners to the district These organ
izerS organized the non-union men and
some members OF other orEaniza tions
also Joined the Western Federation OF
Miners The managers commenced dis
charging their employees who Joined the
union. some Of them having worked for :
the company over 20 years.
Men Quit Unanimously.
1T was this action that precipitated (
the strike When the strike was called I
members Of every organization stopped Z
work It made no difference whether q !
man was q carpenter, bOilermaker, cleo
trician or q member Of the Western {
Federation of Miners, the action was I
unanimous Having for years been de !
MED any adjustment Of grievances. the {
action Of one was the action Of all.
Only Fair Treatment Needed.
Proper management would have pre-
vented the strike. Had a fair hearing
not been refused the men would be |
working today. Under a fair PROPOSE /
ton for settlement the mines might re-
sumo operations tomorrow Since the 1
demands we have made have been re-
peatedly published, we will not repeat /
them at this time. It is enough to say
that the wages We ask are lower than