The Butler County press. [volume] (Hamilton, Ohio) 1900-1946, 1916-06-30
BARS LOCKOUTS
AND STRIKES
The Compulsory Investigation
Of Industrial Disputes.
COLORADO PLAN OUTLINED.
Under a New Law Workers May Not
Strike Nor Employers Lock Out Their
Help Unless Thirty Days Notice Has
Been Given-Men Must Remain al
Work During Investigation.

WOTN DuTlnS f1VeSti96klons
In an address delivered recently at
Columbus, o., Wayne c.. Williams,
member Of the Colorado industrial com
mission, gave comprehensive review
of the industrial plan of that state as
1t has operated sSlce Aug. /, 1916. He
told how compulsory investigation"
as distinguished from compulsory ar
bitration" of industrial disputes has
been the means of establishing peace
between employers and employees, how
strikes and lockouts are ayerted and
how the law Of collective bargaining
Is actually made effective under the
Colorado law. Mr.. Williams paid fine
tribute to the organized workers Of his
state and declared they have complied
faithfully with both the spirit and let
ter of the law and We're ready and Will
ing to cooperate with the commission
In bringing about industrial peace and
establishment of Industrial justice in
Colorado.
In brief, the law operates In the fol
lowing manner: The employees OF
manufacturing plant desire q raise in
wages or shorter hours. Under the old
system they could or could not give
notice to their employer as they
might desire. They could go on a
strike without warning, and they could
be locked out without any warning
There was no central body to appeal
to, no one to investigate the dispute or
find out the actual merits: there were
charges and countercharges. rumors
and accusations and more or less chaos
and anarchy generally; the plant tied
! up, the men idle and their families
suffering, bitterness increasing every
hour; importation of strike breakers,
disorder and often terrible conse.
quences. This is not the history Of
every strike, but of many strikes
Under the operation of the Colorado
law the first step Is for the employees
to notify the employer of any change
Of wages or hours which they desire
This is made in writing, and copy
goes to the employer and to the com
mission The notice IS for Thirty days
the commission may permit the two
sides to negotiate privately with each
other, or If they do not want to do so
the commission viii get them together
and endeayor informally to adjust the
| dispute. If these informal efforts fail
the commission may, upon its own mo
| tion or upon request of either side or
both sides, start a formal investigation
The investigation is held. witnesses
are subpoenaed and put under oath,
| complete and exhaustive testimony is
taken as of all matters in dispute.
| When the investigation Is complete the
| commission makes its findings. These
| findings or the award as it is called.
are not binding upon either side, al
though either or both sides may ac-
| cept the findings, either before the in
vestigation begins or at its conclusion,
in which event the award is binding.
The only restraint upon the two
sides Is that prior to and during the In
vestigation the employer cannot lock
his men out, and the men cannot so
on strike The status quo is presery-
4
| ed. The men must remain at work at
the usual scale of hours and wages
until the commission makes its find
ings. After the findings have been
made either side is free TO do as il
| chooses.
The Old weapons of industrial war
fare may be resorted to-there may be
strikes and lockouts or any other legal
act along lines Of force and coercion.
| Clint c. Houston, editor of the Den.
yer Labor Bulletin says that those liv-
Ing in Colorado know that the law is
being administered without special IA
voritism to either labor or capital, EN-
ployee or employer, and with the pur
pose Of giving all parties at interest 8
square deal