Denver labor bulletin., 1917-09-01
BY LAURENCE TODD
| Especial Washington Correspondent The
! Denver Labor Bulletin.)

Denver Labor BulletinD
WASHINGTON, August 25.-At
last real "labor treaty" between the
component international unions in the
American Federation employed in the
shipbuilding industry, on the one hand,
and the government on the other, has
been signed. The text of this treaty is
presented below, so that the organ
ICED labor movement can see just what
has been conceded and what has yet
to be won, in the struggle between the
movement and the employing authori-
ties in the United States.
First of all, this treaty is one be-
tween the presidents of the interna-
tional unions and the spokesmen of the
branches of the government who deal
directly with their membership. 1t is
signed also by the president of the A.
F. of L. and the president and secre-
tary of the metal trades department
and the president of the building
trades department of the A. F. of L.,
but the thing that the United States
shipping board, the emergency fleet
corporation and the navy department
saw was essential was that the men
in the shipbuilding crafts should feel
themselves directly represented in any
agreement that should be reached.
Powers OF the treaty.
In the second place, where private
yards are affected, the owners and the
workers in those yards are to have
spokesman on the board for settle
ment of their own local disputes. Pow
er goes to the organized men in the
plants. If there is to be strike, at
least the men to go on strike will have
had chance to give warning of what
they want and why it is necessary to
them.
In the next place this treaty does
not make union wages and hours the
tentative standard, as had been anti
cipated by some labor officials. 1t does
provide that all demands for better
wages, shorter hours and improved
conditions shall be considered, and all
circumstances arising since the exist
ing conditions were fixed, (such as the
rise in cost of living, and the spread
of the eight-hour rule) shall be given
due weight. That means that any set
of crafts in any yard that fails to get
union conditions of wages and hours
established there will be to blame for
its own lack of force in presenting its
case.
The nomination of V. Everit Macy,
president of the National Civic Feder-
alton, to head this board, does not give
any indication just now as to the
leaning of the board. The Civic Fed
GRAFTON has never. risked its life in
defense of organized labor, but it
seems to be much impressed, recently,
by the strength of the various parts of
the labor movement. Macy will pretty
generally reflect the views of Presi-
dent Wilson, anyhow, in any decision
of national Importance as to wages in
the shipyards.
What Hastened Action.
The government statement, given
out with the text of the treaty, says
that action was hastened by the fact
that strike vote had been taken af-
fecting 100000 men in the ship yards
on the Pacific coast, and that since
August IA the stoppage of work on
100000 tons of steel and wooden ships
had been momentarily possible. Un-
they still hoped, today, August 25, to
have the men agree to put their de-
mands up to the new board.
The New York ship yards strike,
affecting $4,000 men, was admitted to
be another good reason for the signing
of the compact. Admission of these
facts would seem to point to the will
lingness of the government to consider
early adoption of union standards of
hours and wages, so long as work is
not stopped thru strikes.
Text of Agreement.
Following is copy of the treaty
and those who signed:
MEMORANDUM FOR THE AID
JUSTMENT OF WAGES, HOURS,
AND CONDITIONS OF LABOR IN
When disputes arise concerning
wages, hours or conditions of labor,
in the construction or repair of ship
building plants or of ships in ship
yards under the United States ship
ping board emergency fleet corpora
ton, or under said shipping board or
under contract with said corporation
or with said board, adjustment of such
disputes shall be subjected to an ad-
justment board of three persons, here
matter called "the board" to be ap-
pointed by the United States shipping
board emergency fleet corporation, one
to represent the said corporation, one
to represent the public and to be nom
mated by the president of the United
States, and one to represent labor, the
last to be nominated by Samuel Com
pers. Two persons shall be so nom
mated by Samuel Gompers-one from
the metal trades to sit when the mat
ter under consideration concerns con-
struction of ship yards or steel ships
and one from among the trades pri
marily concerned to sit when the mat
ter under consideration has reference
to wooden hulls. Where such matter
, concerns wages, hours or conditions
applying to the production of both
kinds of ships, only one of the two said
nominees representing labor shall sit
on said board, the question as to which
of such nominees is to sit to be deter
mined between them, or in the event
of their disagreement to be determined
hu Saf,t1a1 b,