Denver labor bulletin., 1916-03-11
MACHINISTS
WIN BEFORE
STATE BOARD
Commission FavOrS De-
mandS OF Union
Decision Rendered Wednesday De-
Clares Wage Increase and g.
Hour Day Just; Employers
May Take II to Court

This decision will be substantially in
favor of the employees" was the opening
sentence of the award made Wednesday
afternoon by the Colorado State Indus
trial Commission in the case of Machin-
lists Union No. A against thirty-three
contract shop owners of Denver. The
decision j. complete victory for the
union and will no doubt result in the
award being finally incorporated in
new agreement. Notwithstanding a threat
made by George Manley, the employers
attorney, to take the matter to court
Nothing that favors labor is ever con
sttutionnl,7 in the opinion Of Manley,
who has a well established record in Col
ornio as a labor batter
Notice Of demand for a wage in
crease from 37' 10 - cents per hour and
Inauguration Of an eight hour day In
contract machine shops WAS filed with
tho commission December J, 1915. Since
then hearings and arguments have been
held. being concluded Monday Of this
week Attorney Henry Cohen represent
ed the union a. counsel. and George Man
lev appeared IN "a legal capacity for the
shop owners.
Union Is Highly Pleased.
Officer. and members Of the union arc
well pleased with the decision. and feel
confident n satisfactory agreement with
the shop owners viii soon be entered
into under terms Of the award.
The award says a wage increase OF
cents per hour from the present scale
of 3Tts TO i2i- cents, Is just, and further
expresses belief that 1T ought to b. pos
siblc for working men generally to pro
duce sufficient OF this worlds goods on
an cight-hour basis TO supply all the
worlds demands.
At the final hearing before the com
IN ssion Monday morning the employer,
were not present. They declined TO ap,
rear on advice Of their attorney, George
Manley. who previously had declared the
industrial law unconstitutional" and
that he would appeal TO the courts. This
is now squarely up TO George.
Did Not Force the Issue.
The commission did not force the en-
ploycrs TO produce their books. tho At
torncv General Farrar had advised the
commission that il had tn, power, under
the law. 10 compel the inspection Of en-
ploycrs books. The union employees, in
this instance. however, asked that the
commission withhold its power in these
cascs on the ground Of their confidence
in their own position and right TO an in
crease in wages to be such that they
were satisfied with the evidence pro
duecd
The commission il not disposed" :"
reads the decision. ito permit any def.
ance Of its authority. but out OF consid
Grafton for the request made by the un-
ion the commission viii not, in this hear.
ing. seek test of its rights 10 inspect
the books Of the employers. The find
-, . L.. tlgfa +tufl lt.
in favor Of the employees"
Machine Shops Prosperous.
The award is as follows:
Il. That there has been no increase in
wages in this trade since 1905. when
there was an increase from 33hs to 371ac
per hour.
20. The cost of living for the average
working man in Denver has increased un-
deniably in the last te nycars.
-. II was shown that since last Sep
temper practically all the machine shops
involved in this controversy have been
running full time and some have put
on extra shifts at night; that the indus
try is in a very prosperous condition and
skilled labor is in great demand. The
commission is also very much impressed.
and the public is no doubt impressed by
the attitude of several of the local en-
ploying machinists of this city. These
shops whose proprietors resisted the
power of this commission are the one.
that We're first represented in the in.
formal hearing before this commission
without n single exception this group of
employers said to the commission that
they courtcd an open investigation and
that their books were open TO the com
mission at any time. When. however
the commission subpoenacd these firms
to bring their books and attempted to
make even a private inspection, they re-
fused the commission that right and de-
clincd to show whether or not they were
making sufficient profit TO warrant them
sharing small part of that profit with
their mon, whose hands and brains helped
10 make their business possible.
Wage Increase Is Just.
a. The commission believes that an
incrcnsc in wages from 31M to i2I% cents
per hour is Just. Regarding the matter
Hof hours. the commission feels that there
NJ Justice in favor of shorter work days
fAs to the exact amount of reduction or
Rhc time at which II should he made
the commission will not state with au.
thorityr