The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1917-08-31
w. H. Johnston, International Head of Big Union, Sees End of Wage Disagreements Here inl Establishment of Standard Agreements With War and Navy Departments May Insurea Munitions Plants Against Gripping By Strikes.

Strikes.
 The minimum wage is the troubles, says w. H. Johnston, Association of Machinists.
 MT. Johnston, who is in thi other general executive board the threatened strike among. n minimum wage campaign whio declared he believed the sched will be adopted by Bridgeport n
 "The minimum wage idea is the fairest manner in which to settle6the industrial unrest caused by disagree ment over wages President Johns, ton told a Farmer reporter. ''I believe the unrest in Bridgeport factories would be ended by the Institution of the minimum wage plan. ef = <
 Percentage increases are all right, but they have their drawbacks. When men in factory received a 10 per cent. increase, for instance. the high- est paid men, of course also receive the increase. What follows is this: Tn. two or three weeks, the men get ting the highest wage are dropped in groups of two and three, and others are put in their places at a low starting wage.
 This results in dissatisfa ction and unrest, and production in the factory. It will be found always that where the men are dissatisfied over condi- tions the production falls off and eff ciency is hampered.
 Bridgeport manufacturers are good business men.N They are intelligent. believe they will see the advantage of having their worxingmen contented. with the resultant increase in produc- tfons and effici
 Mi. Savage pointed out that many factories here are paying more than the i1iachinists ask for a minimum wage ssThe ma clinists are 50 cents. Many of the plants here pay 55 cents or unreasonable in the request that 8 minimum of 50 cents be paid. t.It is a fact" MT. Savage said, "that wages in Bridgeport are lower than they were two years ago. Yet the cost of living has risen greatly
 Both Mir. Johnston and MT. Savage were confident that the threatened la bor crisis in this city will be obviated | through the attitude of the nranufac- tuners themselves.
 A mass meeting of machinists will be held tonight at which the interna- tional officers will be present. The meeting was called following a vote by the minimum rate committee of the local union favorable to making plans for a general strike.
 MT. Johnston. on behalf of the vast number of labor men he represents, signed an agreement with the ship ping board covering labor matters in lshipyardss
 Serious .tie-ups of shipyards on the Pacific coast were threatened" said MT. Johnston.
 '-The agreement is designed to pre- vent any interruption in tn produc- ton of ships, for the government through labor disagreeuaents. It pro viSles for settlement as far as possible of disputes. through arbitration. l The agreement does not affect mu- nitions factories. Later, however, ] believe a similar arrangement will be made with the War and Navy De partments, covering plants making supplied needed by the government
 for prosecution of the war-plants lsuch as the Bridgeport Projectile Co.
 the U. M. C.NCo., and possibly such g
 plant as the Singer Mfg. Co, whict
 makes machines to sew cloth for uni.
 forms" The agreement, which was signed 2 1 week ago, excited much interes
 among labor men here. The text o1
 lows:
 Memorandum for the Adjustment O l Wages, Hours, and Conditions o
 Labor in Shipbuilding Plants. ! When disputes arise concerning wages, hours or conditions of labor 1 in the construction or repair of ship 1 building plants or of ships in ship yards under the United States Ship l ping Board Emergency Fleet Corpora | tion,. or under said Shipping Board l or under contract with said Corpora 1 tion or with said Board, adjustmentso c such disputes shall be subjected to al | adjustment board of three persons hereinafter called the Board'' to b. ! appointed by the United States Ship 1 ping Board Emergency Fleet Corpora 1 ton, one to represent the said Corpor ation, one to represent the public an, | to be nominated by the President o
 the United States, and one, to repre- l sent labor. the last to be nominated l by Samuel Gompers. Two person
 shall. be so nominated by Samue | Gompers-one from the metal trade 1 to sit when the matter under consid eration concerns construction of ship | yards or steel ships and one iron among the trades primarily concern l ed to sit when the matter under con
 sideration has reference to woodel 1 hul1s. Where such matter concern 1 wages, hours or. conditions app1yin, to the production of both kinds O ships. only one of the two said nom inees representing labor shall sit ol
 said board, the question as to whicl
 of such nominees is to sit to be de terrntned between them, or in tn
 event of their disagreement to be de itermined by Samuel Gompers. Whel
 l,