Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1917-08-03
SH|PYARDS STRIKE
STILL UNSETTLED
AGREEMENT MAY BE REACHED
FRIDAY-HOLD OUT FOR
HIGHER SCALE.

After three days and nights of ne
gotiations, the employees of the local
shipyards who went on strike at the
Sloan plant Tuesday morning and a
the Ward yard Wednesday, were stin
out Friday morning, though at a
meeting scheduled to be held this
morning 1t was expected they would
vote to return to work not later than
next Monday, pending arbitration of
a new wage scale to apply to all ship
yards in the state and to be effected
at conference in Seattle.
Messrs. Henry NJ. White and Edgsr
Snyder Of Seattle. the federal concil-
iators who came to Olympia Wednes-
day morning, succeeded, after confer
ences with the strikers and with
Messrs. Sloan and Ward, in effectins
an agreement that evening with the
general committee representing the
different unions for the men to re-
turn to work Immediately, new
wage scale to be determined by the
committee and employers and to be
dated back to August I.
Conferences Continued.
This arrangement appeared to be
satisfactory and 1t was first thought
1t would be approved by the men at
mass meeting Thursday morning,
but q district organizer of the ship
carpenters union who arrived from
Portland Thursday noon told the
men a permanent settlement regard
ing the wage scale should be made.
and the strike committee, the federal
conciliators and Messrs. Sloan and
Ward continued conferences that at
ternoon and evening. endeavoring to
reach a settlement.
The scale the carpenters want pro-
vides for an increase from IS to $6
q day Immediately, two months later
q raise to $3.50 and three months
after that an advance to 81. for eight
hours.
The strike at the Sloan yard start
ed Tuesday morning when the men
had a disagreement with the fore
man. John johnson. over his dismiss
al Monday evening Of two carpenters
on grounds of alleged incompetency.
The men were members of the wage
scale committee which had presented
the new wage demands to President
Sloan last week and the men claimed
they were fired for that reason.
Vote Strike Tuesday Night.
Tuesday evening the men held a
mass meeting and. after President
Sloan and Manager Ward had spoken
to them and the former had told them
they would have to present their
grievances to the federal conciliators
Wednesday. the carpenters and affi,-
lated workmen in both plants voted
to strike. The walkout at the Ward
yard occurred Wednesday morning
and. though the members of the Ship
yard Laborers' union reported for
duty at that plant, they were let off
because the other men refused 10
work.
Messrs. White and Snyder arrived
in Olympia Wednesday morning AMI
conferred Immediately with the gen.
eral committee OF the various unions
involved. who presented a new gem
eral wage scale to the conciliators.
Later in the day they conferred with
Messrs. Sloan and Ward. c. ]. Lord,
chairman of the shipbuilding division
of the State Council of Defense, CO.
operating with them in their negotia-
tions, which have continued regularly
since in an effort to settle the strike,
Mr.. Sloan has agreed to reinstate the
two men fired and settlement de-
pends on approval by the men of the
agreement Of Messrs. Sloan and Ward
to pay the scale fixed at the Seattle
conference.