The Knoxville independent. [volume] (Knoxville, Tenn.) 1894-current, 1918-06-29
GENERAL LABOR NEWS

reached between the leaders of the
workers in the Paris districts and
Premier Clemenceau, at meeting, at
which the questions causing unrest
among the workers were discussed.
The leaders promised the premier that
they would issue notices calling upon
the munitions workers to resume work.
One of the greatest strikes In the
history of the world now is being
fought in Belgium, where 100000
members of labor unions refuse to
work for the Germans, even when
threatened by starvation, according to
Lieut.. Henri de Man of the Belgian
army, member of the executive board
Of the Belgian federal trades, who adj
dressed the Boston Central Labor
union.
The report Of the state industrial
commission shows that the number of
industrial accidents in Wisconsin in
creased from 11,006 in the industrial
year 1914-15 to 1905 in 1856 and
20,560 in 1867. This increase in &C
cidents was much more rapid than the
increase In the number of employees,
which increased about 20 per cent.
Seventy-fve millwrights and care
penters employed by the Lake Ship
Building company, Ninety-second
street at the Calumet river, South Chi
cago went on strike for so cents
day increase In pay. Their action
prevented 200 men from continuing
work on repairs on boats taken over
by the government.
Five thousand Chicago truck driv-
ers and chauffeurs were granted an
increase in wages of So a week for
men receiving S19 and S21 and $3.50
for those getting higher pay. Hinton
G. Clabaugh, investigator of the de-
partment Of justice, was the mediator
The increase applies to the members
of both organizations.
All dry goods and grocery clerks of
| Bloomington, Ill.,, voted to strike un-
less demands for 20 per cent increase
In pay and closed shop were granted
Proprietors were willing to grant the
wage demands, but would not concede
the other points.
A temporary 10 per cent wage in
crease was granted by the National
War Labor board to st. Louis street
car employees. The strike of the street
car men, it was announced, has been
definitely settled through the boards
action.
In obedience to the order of the
Metal Trades council, shipyard work
crs, said by union officials to number
nearly 10000, quit work in British Co
lumbia shipyards in strike for high
err wages.
All freight handlers at the Winnipeg
(Manitoba) freight sheds left work, ty'
! ing up immense shipments going
through there daily. They refused t.
handle freight brought by nonunior
transfers.
BY driving 4,0S9 rivets in nine hours
a crew at the shipyard of the North
west Steel company, Portland, Ore.
working on the $500 ton steel steam
err Westview, established what Ii
claimed as new American record.
The federal census bureau has is
sued it's census of cotton manufac
| lures, taken in 1914. 1t shows tina
1893, 404 wage earners were employed
that year and the average wage was
1887 year.
Trade unionists In New York city
ask municipal authorities to built
modern tenements on land purchased
at o,st Of $12,OO0.000 for court
house. The site Is now declared un
suitable.
Even the grandmothers in Grea
Britain are now wearing oyeralls ant
doing their bit to win the war by go
ing into the munition plants and doinl
odd jobs such as their physical pow
ers will permit.
Representatives of 25 manufactur
! ing concerns In a meeting at Quincy
| ILL.,, decided to turn over their plant
| to the government for any war worl
| that might be needed.
Labor costs in shipbuilding average
about 10 per cent of the contract price
in America. Many men in the ship
building yards are being paid over VI
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