Ladysmith news-budget. [volume] (Ladysmith, Rusk County, Wis.) 1907-1927, 1917-08-24
PAPER MAKERS
co ON STRIKE
MAKE DEMANDS WHICH ARE
REFUSED AND FIFTY
MEN ARE OUT
QUESTION OF WAGES AND
UNION RECOGNITION RAISED
Started UP When New Crew
is Obtained

Demanding the reinstatement of
Martin Koske, a beater helper and
member of the Union who had been
discharged, the recognition of the
Union and an increase of wages OF
SO cents day, the Papermakers'
Union inaugurated a strike at the
Menasha paper mill in Ladysmith
Monday afternoon.
The Union matters have been re-
ferred to ]. c. Carey president OF
the international brotherhood of pa
permakers of which the Ladysmith
Union is Local NO. 95.
Owing to the strike of the Union
men who are machine tenders, and
beaters the paper mill has closed
down, although the sulphite and pulp
plants are in operation as usual
Koske was discharged Saturday,
August IL, the Union claims with
out cause. The Grievance Commit
tee of the Local took up the mat
ter and at the changing of shifts on
Monday at O'Clock presented their
typewriter demands to the officers
of the company.
Of this committee Albert Stan
ski was spokesman and the members
Were Wilbur jacobson president OF
the Local, Archie Hayes, vice presi-
dent; Elmer Taylor, John Zawada,
Emil Portman, Ed Phalen and Fritz
w. Barfknecht.
Manager Ballou listened to the
statement read part of the document
and told the men would not need
to wait until Aug. 25th, which had
been fixed as time limit for an
answer but that the men could get
their cards and their time right
then.
The paper mill management says
there are Is or &c members of the
Union, and Union officers say there
are over 40.
Local 95 has been organized for a
year The officers besides jacobson
and Hayes are Geo. Lockbaum cor.
sec'y, and Fred Rauhut, fin. sec'y.
Some fifty men Union and Non
Union are out at the mill.
In a statement to the News-Bud-
get on Friday Harry Ballou said
that no paper mill in the state rec
ognized the Union and the Menasha
mill would not. He also stated that
the mill was undergoing needed re-
pairs and would be started up as
soon as they were completed with
new crew. He did not anticipate
the return of any of the strikers who
who are members Of the union to
the mill, nor did he anticipate any
great difficulty in securing full
crew to operate the plant.
In spite of the fact that the trains
are watched carefully as are hotels
and boarding houses it is said six
men came to Ladysmith Friday
morning and reported for work with
others to follow. "A meeting of Lo-
cal 95 will be held Sunday at Odd
Fellows hall where plans for the fu-
ture will be decided upon. 1t is ex-
pected some of the international Of
Ificers will be present.
There has been no trouble though
two fights were reported Tuesday
night as clinchers of arguments. No
arrests We're made.
The Union contends that with the
exception of beater helpers wages
which were raised from $1.SO to $500
a month ago there has been no in
crease in the wage scale since the
mill went on hours in April 1916.
The wages paid now are:
Machine tenders $4.20; back tend
ers $2.76; third $2.1O; fourth $1.SO
and oilers $1.62. Beater engineers
$2.6S and helpers $500
The union also contends that in
almost every industry wages have
been raised to meet the higher cost
of living and ask the mill here to
meet these conditions.
Nothing definite will be done how
ever until the International officers
of the Union act in SO far as the
strikers are concerned The COM
pany says it will not recede from
!its position and that is the situa-
tion as the News-Budget goes to
press.