Denver labor bulletin., 1917-05-19
Cigarnakers
(By j. W. Sanford.)

were made and approved without a
dissenting voice.
The manufacturers (all but one)
have agreed to 81 increase all around
for making cigars and will submit the
other 81 in dispute to arbitration. All
of our members returned to work
Tuesday and present indications are
that there will be steady work from
now on.
Mr.. David Greenfield who handled
our strike with such complete salts
faction as chairman of the strike COM
mittee was unanimously elected to
represent US on the arbitration board
in the final settlement of our difficulty
With the exception of the loss of
one shop employing eight members
before the strike no harm has resulted
to the cigar industry so far as we are
able to see at this time and it is
believed that our manufacturers will
be able to market their cigars at
enough increase in price to make up
for the difference paid for making
them. The eight man shop referred to
has seen fit to import five cigarmakers
from cheaper district in the East to
operate his shop on a machine made
basis of making cigars. His conten-
tion was that the larger and older
established shops should have paid the
increase and the price left at the old
rate for him in order that he might
overcome the advantage of their es-
tablishment in selling his goods. Such
a rule as this is never applied in any
locality and we can see no reason why
an exception should be made here. The
ever increasing demand for our label
we believe will result in this one
manufacturer returning to our ranks
in a short time. The personnel of his
employees do not have the appearance
of being professional strike breakers
and we believe that with little per-
suasion they can be shown the advan-
tage of joining with US which will be
to their interest as well as ours.
Messrs. Armstrong, Potts and Gray,
the committee sent out by the Trades
Assembly in the interest of Luella
Simmons, was granted the floor and
substantial donation made for her
relief.
Attention was called to the strike
of the Jewish Bakers and our men,
bers admonished to give them all the
support possible until such time as
they may be able to settle their diff
ferences with the master bakers by
patronizing only stores that handle
the label bread. |
Employers who resist slight de-
mands for increased wages by their
employees that are made necessary on
account of the abnormal increase in
the cost of living, are not showing the
right spirit and are only contributing
that much more to the interruption
of business which should be avoided
in these trying times and met with
| the same spirit as the advanced cost
of anything else is. Nobody is di-
rectly to blame for the conditions that
exist but everybody is affected, so
what is the use of holding back, for
the sooner the limit is reached the
sooner we will return to normal con-
ditions.
George R. French, international or
ganizer for the Retail Clerks was
granted the floor and gave US an in
teresting talk on organization and the
patronage of house cards and labels
generally.
To be under twenty-one or over
thirty is agitating the minds of some
of our huskier members just now.
whether it were better to take up
arms against a sea of trouble (tilled
with submarines) or flee to ills ION
the farm which they know not of,
that's the question"
A number of unions have responded
to our appeal for financial assistance,
but now that the strike is settled it
is being returned with thanks as fast
as it comes in. Unions that contem-
plate making donation are requested
not to do so, but turn their attention
instead to the patronage of cigars
bearing our label which will rebound
:, to the advantage of the labor move
|ment generally. An attempt is being
made to establish non-union cigar fac
tories in Denver and to cut the selling
price of cigars by paying low rate
of wages at long hours of work for
those that make the goods. They are
no advantage to the community from
any point of view.
H. J. Seiford, the sage brush philos-
opher from the Black Hills who has
been located in Lead, South Dakota,
for the past eight or nine years,
dropped into town this week. Harry
says that John Barlycorn is to go into
exile from there in July, after which
time the cigar industry will have. to
be reorganized. He is going to visit
few days in Denver, after which he
intends trying his hand at farming in
the Grand Junction district.
The application of the golden rule:
"Do unto others as you would have
them do unto you," was exemplified
at our last meeting when Dave Green
field took the floor and called the
members attention 10 Jne 1act UnaC
in view of the fact that the secretary
of the union had not been included in
the settlement for increased pay and
for fear that he may have noticed the
oversight he made motion which was
carried without opposition that the
salary of the secretary be increased
in proportion to that of those that
work in the factories. This action on
the part of the union will forestall
any contemplated walkout on the part
LIZ IL