The Knoxville independent. [volume] (Knoxville, Tenn.) 1894-current, 1918-08-10
GENERAL LABOR NEWS

0LNERAA LADUn NEWS
When the British Trades Union
congress meets at Derby in September
for it's annual conference the member
ship of affiliated unions represented
probably will be more than 100000.
Arthur Henderson, secretary and rec
ognized leader of the British labor
party, will be present as a delegate.
More than 1000 shoe cutters in 40
factories at Brockton, Mass, engaged
in making army shoes struck for high
err wages. They demanded an increase
from S25 to $3.50 a week and refused
to accept a compromise offer by the
manufacturers in the form of a piece
work schedule.
William Rainey, vice president of
District IL, United Mine Workers of
America, is successor of Edward Stew
art in the capacity of president of the
organization. Mr.. Stewart had been
named state mine inspector, and only
awaited official notification of his ap-
pointment before resigning from the
office of president of the mine work
ers' union.
More than 900 Milwaukee county en-
.ployees will be affected by the sal
airy increase adopted by joint COM
mittees of the finance and judiciary
committee and the county civil service
board. The proposed raises call for
increases totaling about $4,000
month or $4,000 a year The aver
age increase per employee is 10h per
.se-siaa4ls- s'g iseAs .A-4vsisossss
! American labor has proposed to the
Iihipping board that Labor day this
year shall be made a second Fourth of
July in the launching of a record num-
Der of ships to help defeat Germany.
Chairman Hurley referred the proposal
to Samuel Gompers, who will take up
the question with unions on the Pacific
coast.
Provisions Of the proposed new
child labor law have been laid before
President Wilson by group of labor
leaders headed by Samuel Gompers.
A bill designed as q substitute for
the child labor law recently declared
unconstitutional by the Supreme court
soon is to be introduced in congress.
G. e. Hill, vice president of the Com
mercial Telegraphers' union, issued a
statement that the trouble regarding
the reinstatement of two operators of
the great Northwestern Telegraph COM
pany had been amicably settled and
the contemplated strike was called off.
The strike of more than 5000 boiler
makers employed in shipbuilding
plants at Oakland, Cal, and at nearby
points was called off. 1t was an
nounced they would return to work,
but will strike again August unless
back-pay claims are adjusted.
Wage and labor questions affecting
the construction of shipbuilding plants
and other government plants in Cali
fornia for the period Of the war have
been adjusted in an agreement en-
tered into between representatives Of
the government and labor unions, it
was announced.
The electricians of Madison, Wis,
who had been on a strike for three
days returned to work when the con-
tractors signed new scale agreeing
TO pay them 20 cents per hour. They |
formerly received from so to 621a
cents per hour.
Judge Julian W. Mack of Chicago |
and Henry Ford are among nine named
BY President Wilson to act as final |
umpires in labor disputes on which the |
twelve members Of the national war |
labor board cannot reach unanimous |
agreement.
Canadian labor unions demand that |
enemy aliens not fit to be at large |
should be informed and placed at work
On aforementioned land and used |
FOR the clearing of land and produc-
ion Of foodstuffs under government
control.
Polish newspapers in Warsaw have
been compelled to cease publication
owing to a strike of printers, support
I'd by the editorial staffs. Trouble
With the German military authorities
IS to the news published is the cause.
The strike Of Chicago and Alton shop
aborers at Bloomington, ILL.,, was set
led by local officials, who granted the
nen 8 cents per hour increase pending
General Director McAdoo's decision.
The ratio Of unemployment among
British trade union members was II
Ter cent in August, 1914, and for many
months recently has been practically
.ero.