The Knoxville independent. [volume] (Knoxville, Tenn.) 1894-current, 1917-11-24
SEEK RECOGNITION OF UNIONS
Movement to Bring Pressure to Bear
on Employers During the Pres
ent War Crisis.

Movement to Bring Pressure to Bear
on Employers During the Pres
ent War Crisis.
Reports Of evasion and violation of
the law which requires that all work
performed upon government contracts
shall be upon the eight-hour basis have
aroused trade union heads of the coun-
try and sympathetic officials Of the
government to such an extent that a
movement initiated by the American
Federation of Labor to unionize all la
Dor, with government encouragement,
is under way. Although little has APP
peared in the open regarding the move
ment, it is declared that federation Of
ficers have been comforting with gov
ernment heads for some time with q
view to bringing strong pressure to
bear on recalcitrant employers during
the war crisis to recognize trade union
ism. The outcome Of the movement,
as yet incipient, will depend, in SO far
as the government is concerned, upon
the amount of resistance to the idea
offered by the employers. Just now,
1t is declared, attention Is directed to-
ward the steel industry.
Recommendation for a minimum
wage, ranging from SO to $3.50 per
week, for women employed in Kansas
mercantile establishments, was made
to the Kansas welfare commission BY
the state mercantile board. The rec.
ommendation provides that employees,
during their first six months service,
will receive not less than So week.
For the second six months the mini
mum wage will be 81 week, and after
the employee has served a year her
weekly wage must not be less than
$3.50.
Fiof the on1tad NINE Workers Of AMER
fca. He will be succeeded as president
of the organization by Frank J. Hayes,
vice president of the union. Mr.. White
went at once to Washington to assume
his duties as adviser to DIR. II. A. Gar
field, national fuel administrator. Mr..
Hayes, the new president, who has
been vice president for seven years,
announced that there would be no rad
ical change in the policy Of the organi,
cation.
Organization of coal mining regi.
ments from miners already in the Ma,
tional army, for service in France Is
under consideration by Secretary Ba-
ker. Informal negotiations are being
conducted with France. Government
officials in touch with the union believe
most of the $4,000 miners taken on the
| first draft call would offer themselves
for the special service.
The American Hardware Manufac.
turers' association in annual meeting
recorded itself in favor of the open
shop and compulsory arbitration by
the government of all labor disputes.
Resolutions were adopted opposing any
change during the war of labor work.
Ing conditions or hours that existed
when the war began except upon
proper federal authority.
For some years there has been Joint
machinery between the British trade
unions and the cooperative movement
to'prevent labor disputes in co-opera-
tive societies, and it is proposed to i'm.
prove and extend this so as to deal
with the questions of wages and condi-
lions of work of the army of COOP
erative employees.
Seattle telephone girls, numbering
approximately 800, went on strike, but
returned to work when their business
agent telegraphed from San Francisco
that their employers had agreed to SET
tie their demands for higher wages
and recognition of the union satisfac.
torily.
Through submission of all labor
questions to a committee to be nomi-
mated by the federal government, as
agreed upon by representatives of boat
owners, the threatened shipping tieup
of the port of New York was averted
With the decision Of members of the
'Iiggermen's and Kilnmen's unions
to return to work, the threatened strike
Of potters throughout the United States
and Canada has been prevented.
II the proposed fusion of the British
Trades Union congress and the British
cooperative movement takes place the
greatest combination Of workers in the
world, involving 100000 workers, will
come into existence.
Employees In the Cotton Belt shops
and yards at Texarkana, Tex, who
struck over a wage contract, returned
to work, an agreement with company
officials having been reached.
Training of women to replace con-
ductors on the lines of the BROOKLYN
Rapid Transit company who have en-.
listed or are engaged In war service