The labor journal. [volume] (Everett, Wash.) 1909-1976, 1917-08-24

One year ago approximately an
organization was formed of employees
of the lumber industry on Grays Har-
Dor, mostly composed of men working
in the woods. 1t grew slowly but
was composed of the better class of
men. They made no demands but
contended themselves with building up
an organization. They adopted the
same policy of mediation and negotia-
tion that marked the trade union
movement. On July 3rd it held a
convention, voted to ask for char
ter from the American Federation of
Labor covering all men in the timber
industry not eligible for membership
in the Shingle Weavers' Union. 1t
formulated set of demands-a copy
of which l am enclosing-and mailed
them to some sixty employers in
their district Accompanying the
list of demands was request for a
conference. Not single reply was
received from the employers.
Upon publication of the formation
of the Lumberman's Protective
League and the raising of slush
fund, the executive officers of both
the above named organizations got
together and formed a defensive and
offensive alliance, agreeing to strike
on the same date, July 18th, if upon
that date no conference had been OBJ
tanned.
Upon July 3rd the l. w. W. held
convention in Seattle and decided
to call a strike in the lumber indus
try, keeping their strike date Sc
cret. On July 18th, three days be-
fore the strike date of the other or
ganizations, they called their strike.
There has never been any connection
between the A. F. of L. unions and
the l. w. w. and is none now. They
had a good deal of numerical strength
among the loggers, practically none
among the milling branch.
On July 10th, the A. F. of l..
unions called out their men. Ninety
five per cent of the shingle mills
closed and sixty per cent of the saw
mills. The men in the saw mills
joined the international Union of
Timber Workers in large numbers,
probably fifteen thousand of them be-
ing organized up to date. l men,
toned that this organization applied
to the A. F. of L. for charter. This
has been granted.
Altogether l should judge one hun
dred mills, large and small met the
eight-hour day demands and are now
running.
After tremendous pressure had
been brought to hear the State Coun-
Gil of Defense finally brought about
conference. The arrangement was
that a committee of five prominent
Seattle business and professional men
should sit with the Council and both
employers and employees should be
represented by five men each. Judge
Donworth, Judge Ballinger, Judge
Burke, J. N. Maxwell and A. ].
Rhodes constituted the neutral COM
cittee. The strikers were represent
ed by but five men, but when the
conference opened fifty lumbermen
were in attendance. The conference
sat four days and adjourned without
any settlement being reached.
The lumbermen contended that they
could not grant the demands in COM
petition with the other lumber pro-
ducing sections operating on ten
and eleven-hour day basis. They
claimed to represent but 1000 mills
out of $4,000 in the United States
and but one-sixth of the lumber pro-
duction of the country. They pre-
dicted ruin to the industry if the de-
mands were granted. The men after
a great deal of argument agreed to
waive ehC "aSS quSSIion III It's ell
tirety, waive union recognition, waive
every demand but eight hours. They
even agreed to work ten hours on all
government contracts with no in
creased pay for overtime This offer
was definitely and flatly refused by
the lumbermen. The only PROPOSE
tion to which the lumbermen would
agree was that the men themselves
on the first of next January should
vote on the question of whether or
not they would work eight hours at
eight hours pay or ten hours at ten
hours pay. On it's face this sound
ed reasonable but actually the scheme
was N. G. If the lumber employers
would keep hands off and not at
tempt to influence the men through
| cOerciye methods IL would not ha co