The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1917-02-12
PLANTS IN WEST END TIED UP BY
 HOLIDAY DISPUTE
Union Members Want Time and One Half for Work
 ing on the Holiday.
MANY REFUSE TO
 GO ON WITH WORK
Conference of Workers and Heads of Factories Will
 Adjust Differences.
When is a holiday not a holiday?

When is a holiday not a holiday?
 An attempt to determine this ques- ton will be made during the coming week by representatives of the man. agement of the American Grapho- phone Co.,, Harvey Hubbell, Inc, Bryant Electric Go. and the Siemon Hard Rubber Co. in a conference they will endeavor to bring about with representatives of the various unions of the working people employed in their factories.
 There are number of days mark ed in the calendar as holidays which the management of the factories named do not consider holidays in the. terms of their agreement to pay time and half to employees for labor per- formed on those days. Today, Lin coln's birthday, is one of the days in dispute. j
 The action today of the management of the American Graphophone Co. re- garding the status of this oliday and the agreement with employees has brought the matter to a head. Last week the company posted g notice sta-- ing that while the management did not recognize Lincoln's birthday as hoh- day in the meaning of the agreement with the employees, the factory would be open as usual but no extra time would be paid those who worked. A similar course was adopted by the management last year. After the mo- tice had been posted members of the union were informed that if they worked today without getting the time and a half pay, they would be fined $s each by the union.
 In consequence less than one-quar- ter of the employees reported for work this morning. B. A. Hervey and other union officials were on hand despite the cold to check up those who went to work A number of the hands who reported and went to work were said not to be members of the union. some of those who did go to work when they saw others standing about outside the factory took off their aprons and jo1n- ed their co-workers outside.
 The presence of these men ana women about the factory entrances gave rise to a rumor that there had been strike at the factory. Asked about the matter Superintendent Hanson first denied that anything un- usual had taken place. Later, he ad- mitted that a large number of his employees had stayed away from the factory.
 There has been no strike" he said. What has happened is hard ly worthy of mention. A number of the employees stayed out today be- cause we will not pay them time and a half for the day. They will all be back at work tomorrow"
 Rather than pay the .extra com pensation for work today, or have any disputes with their workmen, the management of the Bryant Electric, Harvey Hubbel1 and Siemon Hard Rubber companies, closed their fac- tories entirely today. Some time this week they will get together with the heads of the union and endeavor to have the holidays designated to which the extra compensation rule applies.
 The factory managers are willing to pay the overtime for labor on Me- morial Day, Fourth of July, Labor Day, Thanksgiving Day, Christmas and possibly Good Friday. They ob- ject, however, to paying overtime for Lincoln's and Washington's birthdays, both of which occur this month, St. Patrick's Day. Columbus Day and New Years.
 Ever since the agreement with the 1 unions and these factory superintend- l ents the facts as to the holidays in- 1 cluded in the articles have been in | dispute. An effort will be made this [ week to write into the articles of 1 agreement the names of the holidays 1 for which the extra compensation shall be paid.