Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1917-11-09


ly, with some highly skilled men
receiving Sc. From Mr.. Raymond's
statement in local paper it is APP
parent that he classes these men as
coming under the 1925 head in the
award If this holds. then only the
laborers, who have been paid SO
day, will be entitled to an increase
dating back to August l. This class
ification of the workers is ono point
that will be a stumbling block to
settlement locally.
The outlook for a settlement in
Olympia is not bright. When the
walkout occurred, the Sloan corpora
ton, in order to protect itself, kept
it's foremen on the payroll. so that
upon settlement work might be re-
sumed to the best advantage. Upon
receipt Of the San Francisco decision
these foremen were peremptorily or
dered to assemble their crews and 60
to work under the terms of the
award. They declined to do so until
such time as an agreement had been
reached with local unions. There
upon their pay was ordered stopped.
The following day the company, re-
GREETING it's hasty action, sought to
recall this decision and again offered
to continue its foremen on the pay
roll, but these overtures were too
late and many of these highly skilled
shipbuilders have left the city and
accepted positions with other yards.
This means that when the yards do
resume they must undergo the han
dicap of breaking in men unfamiliar
with the work of shipbuilding.
Henry Mcbride. district represent
alive of the adjustment board, came
to Olympia Monday afternoon and
since that time has been in conference
with workmen and shipyard man
ayers. Mcbride is striving to COM
pose the differences between the par
ties but thus far has met with little
success.
News Of the award of the labor ad-
justment board was received by the
shipyard workers in panied surprise.
Expressions by members of the board
at the time of the hearing in Seattle
and the temporary settlement which
caused the men to resume work, led
the men to believe that the board rec
ognized the justice of their demands
and would so rule. Instead, the ad-
justment board has based its award
upon the San Francisco scale, the
lowest on the coast, and many en-
ployes In the Puget Sound district
find that their wages have been low
cred, not raised. although there is
provision of the award which pro-
hibits reduction of any scale now in
effect in the yards.
The decision of the adjustment
board was opposed by labor members
of the board and by representatives
of labor from the several cities in
volved who were asked to SIT with the
federal board. The attitude of those
representatives is shown in this state
ment:
1--WE, the undersigned representa-
tives of organized labor who were
selected to serve ON the labor adjust
ment board as local members of said
board for Sam Francisco. Seattle,
Portland and other Pacific coast
cities, herewith emphatfally deny that
any labor representative, including
! the permanent member of the board,
voted in favor Of the findings. The
decision of the board is entirely un-
satisfactory to labor and the state
ment that labor representatives
signed and voted for the decision
rendered is unfair, misleading and
absolutely false"
A. J. Berries, appointed by Samuel
Gompers and representing the Amer
lean Federation of Labor, who is re-
turning to Washington, did not sign
the decision, the union men say.
In this district the employers have
hurriedly accepted the award. On
the other hand the employees have
denounced it as unfair.
According to the secretary of the
adjustment board solicitation for the
! interests Of taxpayers" rather than
justice to the workingmen impelled
the board to render it's decision. Sum-
marizing the decision, Secretary H.
r. Seager, of the board said: "The
board did not feel justified in forcing
on the taxpayers of the country, who
henceforth must pay for the ships
built, the higher wage that the con-
sideration of merely local aspects of
the situation might have warranted"
OF course 1t is not the intention of
the men to submit to the fixing of a
wage scale for private employers
based unOn S,lch n Sh a1lOw and ;ro;c