Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1918-04-05

One manager claimed that he, hav-
ing government contracts, his hands
we're tied, but it has transpired they
were not tied so tight that he could
not pull the wool over the eyes of
certain government officials and Sc
cure enormous prices for his con-
tracts.
November 1 the mon again walked
out, to enforce the agreement made
on August l. having given the en-
ployer three months to bring the
yards here up to the standard of the
majority Of the yards on Puget
sound. 1t was a we'll known fact
that at this time the men in the
Olympia yards were the lowest paid
workmen in he sbiphuilding indus
try in this district.
After daily conferences with the
and the government rep
Mr.. Mcbride, the men
returned to work November II, with
the understanding that the employers
would abide by the Macy boards de-
cision on the questions of wages and
working conditions, and that all
wages would be retroactive to Au-
gust 1.
There is a clause in the Macy de-
c.sion providing for the payment OF
all back pay within IL days after
the decision was handed down. 1t is
now four and a half months since
the decision was rendered and all Of
the back pay has not yet been paid.
Especial reference is here made to
the Olympia Shipbuildirg company {.
Do you wonder that men ere dissat-
isfied when such conditions exist?
The Macy board. in setting the
wage scale OF the wooden ship yards
took into consideration three classes
of work only-carpenters, caulkers
and laborers-thus leaving large
majority of the workers without
or a scale of wages.
of this union have
been trying for months to get the
different lines of work classified and
a wage scale to cover them, and in
January succeeded in getting scale
Of $4.95 for fasteners, but there are
a number of kinds of work still un-
classified and which have not been
covered by adjustment awards. and
these classifications and wages for
same have been agreed to by the
Of the shipbuilders and
the government representative and
are now in the hands Of the federal
wage adjustment board in Washing
ton, D. C. Let us hope that we shall
get results.
February II, 1918, this organiza-
ton secured charter from the In
Longshoremen's Associa-
ton, and is now known as Shipyard
Laborers, Riggers and Fasteners of
the Pacific Coast.
The Shipyard Laborers. Riggers
End Fasteners has sprung from an
organization Of about 800 in April
last year to a membership of more
than 5000 at the present time. en-
bracing ports in British Columbia,
and Oregon. with every
Indication of doubling its member
ship before the summer months are
gone.
The Organization has secured for
It's membership an increase of wages
If approximately so per cent, a
shorter workday in a number of cases
and various improvements in work
ing conditions. This Is considered,
BY men who have had years Of expe-
Renee in the labor movement, to be
4 wonderful record for so young an
organization, taking into considera-
ton the years of struggle other older
unions have passed through to Sc
cure similar results. l will cite the
six years struggle of the United Mine
Workers to secure the check-off sys-
tenn. under which system all dues,
fines and assessments were taken off
at the company Office. Each year
FOR six years this question was
fought out at the wage conventions
between tho Miners organization
and the coal operators. Five times
the boys went down in defeat. but
the sixth time they came back
stronger than before and, with the
of the entire membership of
the state. some four thousand. they
carried the point and won. And
nothing went further toward cement
ing the entire membership than the
of this point
SO let the members of this organi-
cation on this their first anniversary,
re-pledge themselves to stand ghoul-
der to shoulder in the great struggle
that is before us. We have the foun-
dation of a splendid organization.
Let us strive to make it one of the
strongest and most progressive on
the Pacific coast We can do this if