Denver labor bulletin., 1918-04-06
Continued from Page one)


nication is self-explanatory. Further
steps will be taken by the Typograph-
ical Union to secure the acceptance
of the award by the publishers before
strike action is resorted to. The COM
mission will be informed of the final
outcome.
To the Members of the Industrial
Commission of Colorado.
Gentlemen: Following the receipt
of the findings and award made by
your honorable body in the wage scale
controversy between Denver Typo
graphical Union No. 40 and the pro-
prietors and publishers of The Rocky
Mountain News, The Denver Times,
The Denver Post, The Denver Express
and The Colorado Herold, the repre-
sentatives of the Typographical Union
have exerted every honorable effort
to reach an amicable agreement with
the employers mentioned.
While the award made by the in
dustrial commission was unsatisfac-
tory to the employees in some respects,
the representatives of the union have
/ accepted it as the basis on which to
discuss notifications and amendments
to meet the views and proposals made
by the employers in the several con-
ferences which have been held within
the past ten days.
Publishers Refuse Boards Award
In these conferences Mr.. Sherman,
acting as the representative of John
C. Shaffer, publisher of The Rocky
Mountain News and The Denver
Times, and speaking as the chairman
of the employers committee, an
nounced positively that the employ
ers would not grant the wage increases
contained in the award made by your
commission. 1t is proper to state that
the publishers of The Denver Express
and The Colorado Herold were not
represented in these conferences, and
that their absence was not due to
any objection on the part of the rep
resentatives of the Typographical
Union.
In order to meet the views of the
publishers as represented by Mr..
Shaffer, thru Mr.. Sherman, the repre-
sentatives Of the union tentatively
agreed to extend the term Of the con
tract one year beyond the date set
in the award made by your commits
sion. The representatives of the en-
ployes have discussed with the en-
ployers' committee every paragraph
in the proposed scale and agreement,
and as a result of these conferences,
tentative concessions and alterations
have been made in the same patriotic
spirit which prompted the members
of your honorable body to incorporate
the following in its findings:
"The commission has laid down the
principle, to which it adheres in this
controversy, that no demands be made
for changes in existing working con-
ditions or method of employment dur
ing the continuance of the war, ex-
cept to comply with government pol
icy, and feels that it's position is up
held by public opinion at this time
and by the attitude of the national gov
ernment."
We regret to state that the pub
fishers representative thruout these
conferences, repeatedly expressed con-
tempt for the findings and award
made in this case by the industrial
commission.
Generous Offer Declined.
Disregarding the wage award con-
tanned in your decision, MIR. Sherman,
acting as the representative of John
C. Shaffer, offered to the representa-
tives of the employees a wage increase
of $1.50 per week. provided the en-
ployes would extend the working time
three hours per week. This offer was
in effect a reduction in the existing
wage scale.
At conference held Tuesday after
noon, April 2, at which Mr.. Sherman,