New-York tribune., 1918-09-12
Bridgeport Employees IMAM
imously Reject Order
to Return to Work
Malcontents Won't
Wait for Mediators
Unconditional Surrender
Demanded Of Manu-
facturers
sag Correspondence Of TAe Tribune

Striking machlnists of the munition.
plants here to-day disregarded the or
der of William H. Johnston. presiden
of the international Association of Ma
chinISts, directing them to return I.
work Immediately. BY a unanimou,
vote they decided TO remain on strik,
until the employers submitted to their
demands. Unless these demands are
acceded 20 at once they threaten tt
force out 10000 additional workmea b,
the end of this week and completely ii,
mp this great munitions making centre
Early to-day Johnston wired from
Washington ordering his unruly union
men back to their Jobs. there to await
The findings OF an arbitration board
He backed UP this order with the threat
30 suspend the workers from the unior
unless they obeyed within forty-eight
hours.
Five thousand strikers met this af-
ternoon in the State Street Casino and
turned down the order unanimously, de.
claring that they would see the strike
through to victorious finish and were
prepared for long struggle.
Send Telegram to Johnston
Notice to this effect was sent to
Johnston in the following telegram:
"l our telegram received and read
to our members assembled at a mass
meeting. Voted unanimously to con-
lnue the fight until they receive the
justice that is due them. Explained
that membership in the l. A. of NJ.
may be forfeited, but they refused to
accept our advice. Another meeting
Will be held Friday afternoon. Men
arc still leaving town.
"DAVlD CLYDESDALE, Secretary
"a. +. BROWN, Recording Sccrc-
SAN UEL LANlT, Business Agent"
According to strike leaders. thew now
have the situation in Bridgeport in the
palms of their hands. Thew saw that
1000 expert machinists have already
left town to get Jobs elsewhere and
that more will follow. Five hundred
are SAID to have departed to-day. These
men, 1T Is asserted, nave promised to
devote from one-fourth TO a half of
the wages they get in other towns to a
strike fund.
This fund, leaders say. will amount
TO at least 100000 a week. partly from
contributions by workers, partly from
assistance offered by branches of the
union in other cities.
According to Samuel Lavit, business
agent of the strikers, machinists in
nelghborlng cities are heart and soul
with their' striking brethren here. Thev
have announced, Lavit says, that thev
Wll refuse to work on material sent to
their towns from Bridgeport, in case
manufacturers attempt to break the
strike in this fashion. Strong warnings
from Washington, the business agent
says, alone keep the machinists in other
cltles from joining the strike.
ne smass meeting also adopted the
following resolution, which will be
mailed to Johnston to supplement- tho
telegram already sent:
we machlnlsts on strike, knowing
as we do that we are out for iust
cause. Will continue striking until we
hear from Woodrow Wilson, President
OF the United States, as to the Justice
of our contention II. remain;ng us''on o,,
strike until we are granted our de-
mands from the manufacturers.
You, above all, Mr.. Johnston. should
reallZe by TINS time that Brldgenort
Inachinlsts know how imperative a
necessity 1t is to be united and present
a front to the manufacturers who hone
TO destroy not only the machinistsi
u'''ph put every organized labor BODY
in Bridgeport, N'
our watchword is 'One for all and
we fall" ''0' o''ioeo
MeahWhilc, the government has al
ntauy taken steps to deal with the stu
atlon here. Munition workers have al.
ready met and elected 116 delegates
VINO VIII meet next week and select N %
three labor men who are to sit with
'hree manufacturers on the permanent
arDltration board which will be headed
oy Alpheus Winter. He was appointed d
TO that post yesterday.
Strikers Outlawed
This board, however. will NOT +roo.
with the strikers, Mr.. Winter hold;no
mat they by their defiance have placcd
themselves beyond the orpanizat;on,S
jurisdiction. e"'''Na''on
None of the strikers will rcce;ve
recognltion from me-" he said toedav
ny their attitude they have lost the;r.
status as workers on government on
terpriscs They are merely private
them" ''''
Lavit announced tonight that in
't " 49, =" iHte = attitude the Strik-
ers INTENDED to present their demands
TO ,he arbitration board These in
c!ude 80 cents an hour as the minimum
wage for toolmakers and so cents an
hour as the minimum wage for ma
chinists, together with recognition of
thelr union by the employers.
"lf the board ignores our demands. -
Mr: Lavlt said, 1--WE will continue our
strike"
Manufacturers arc also preparing to
hght the strike. Boy Scouts of the
city to day. under the direction of the
Bridgeport War Bureau, the local pa
trotlc organization, posted pIacards on
all the streets calling upon women to
enter the munitions plants. 1t is un-
derstood. however, that the employers
Will wait for the arbitration board to
act before employing women extern
sively.
George r. Hawley, general manager
of the Manufacturers Association. is
now in Washington comforting with
labor officials there. 1t is believed that
he Will recommend the backlistinp of
all men who leave their jobs here to
take positions elsewhere
Islip Saloons Warned