The Daily Missoulian. [volume] (Missoula, Mont.) 1904-1961, 1917-06-18
TEST Of STRENGTH IN
butte TO COME TODAY
Electrical Workers Strike
Against Power Company
Starts This Morning.
ORGANIZERS WORKING
Less Than 1900 of $4,000
Miners Have Joined Metal
Workers Union.

Butte. June 17.-No signs were cvi.
dent In Butte today that strike had
been called on the Butte mining com.
panies by the Metal Mine Workers
union. which was organized last week
The new union held it's daily meeting
perfecttng its organization and enroll.
ing members. a number less than
900 miners was claimed by the Off.
GERS as members OF the union.
No miners worked today and the
mines will not reopen until early to.
morrow. because Of what il known as
the monthly change day. the Sunday
when the night shifts begin day worl,
The union named additional men ia
picket the mines and induce miners
from refraining from work.
Eleetrieians on Strike.
new development in the labor sit :
uation in Butte Is expected to take
place tomorrow morning when the
electrical workers quit work in re-
Spouse to a strike order against the
Montana Power company, the concern
which supplies Butte industries with
light and power. The electricians.
who are to strike, are the construction
ana repair men. The Employers as
ISOLATION In a statement said that It
was ready to combat the strikers as
they had refused to arbitratc.
The trouble in the Butte mining field
began three years ago when the Butte
local of the Western Federation OF
Miners rcvolted from the parent or
1f oll
actions of the western federation. The
Union hall was destroyed at the time
ana the Montana national guard was
called to Butte for duty. A union not
connected with an international or
ganization was formed, but It did not
prosper and the mines have been run
ming open shop.
Disaster Gave Opportunity.
The mine disaster of a week ago Fri
day night, according to labor leaders,
presented an opportunity for the or
ganization Of a union and as a con-
sequence men. called by the mine own
ers. Industrial Workers Of the World.
organized n union known as the Metal
Mine Workers union. Members of
the union deny that their leaders are
J..
The demands of the new union
when presented to the employing COM
panies were refused and since then the
new union has been attempting to
cause the mines to shut down. The
leaders of the union say that over 5000
miners have struck. out Of about Is 900
employed in the district.
The demands include wage scale
Of IS daily, the present wage is s4.75;
improved working conditions and rec
ognition of the union.
The Silver Bow Trades and Labor
council. the central labor body Of Butte
has begun a movement to organize the
miners into union that will affiliate
with the American Federation Of Labor
and has sent for executive committee
Butte.
Communication to Public.
The Metal Mine Workers union to-
night issued communication to the
public and members Of organized labor
which says that for three years there
has been no union of miners in Butte
and I'VE were finally driven to tho
conclusion that if We were to have an
organization we must develop it our
selves"
After asserting that tho union is OPP
posed by the Anaconda Copper Mining
company. the statement continues:
The statement continues Expert
ence has taught the miners of Butte
that the police force. the county au-
thorities and, in short. almost every
hn f,,
attempt to extinguish the spark of re-
sistance. but that conditions finally be-
came so acute that in desperation we
organized.
Declare Prices Exorbitant.
In this. the largest mining camp
on earth are gathered as avaricious,
sub servient and Unsuitable a group of
business men as could be assembled
any place on earth.
''Everything we buy is exorbitantly
high, therefore our wages are not suf-
ficient to provide us with the neces-
sa ries of life.
TN the mines conditions are fearful.
Rulkheads Of solid concrete block a
great number Of emergency exits and
In most mines there are no exits on
the lower levels.
THE companies have instituted
most infamous rustling card system
and have gradually perfected 1t until
at the present time a man dare not ex-
press his opinion upon any subject for
fear he will be refused rustling card.
1t is the most humiliating. degrading
method ever devised to break a mans
spirit"
The communication closes by stating
the unions demands.