New-York tribune., 1919-09-23
Printers Dispute
To Be Taken Up at
Joint Conference
Officers of ''Big g. Will
Meet Employers to Dis
cuss Demand for 44-Hour
Week and Wage Increase

An effort to avert general walkout
of book and job printers, which would
involve more than 10000 men, will be
made az a conference Thursday be-
tween representatives of the Employ
ing Printers Association and Typo
graphical Union No. 6-"Big Six"
Announcement that such confer
ence has been called was made ycstcr-
day at the Office of the union. 1t was
said the conference is to be held on
the initiative Of the union leaders.
Charles Hawkes.. secretary of the en-
ployers' organization, said yesterday
that every effort is being made to avert
q general walkout.
Leon II. Rouse, president. and John
O'Connell, secretary, of Big Six"
will represent the employees. The
Typographical Union has called gen
eral meeting for next Sunday TO take
general strike vote. 1t is hoped that
the results of the conference will OBJ
viate the necessity of calling a general
strike. The union demands an in
crease of $l4 week and the fortyfour
hour week. The latest offer of the
employers is an increase of Sc week
and the institution of the fortyfour
hour week May /. 1921.
Pressmen's Union No. 81, which is az
odds with its international, will not
take part in the conference.
1--WE are through with conferences.
The next move is up to the employers"
Secretary James j. Bagley said yester-
day.
Mr.. Bagley declared the pressmen
will never again enter into written
agreements with the employers.
I'VE have found contracts to be an
impeachment" said Mr.. Bagley. "We do
not intend to tie our hands by con-
tracts in the future. We want to pull
out the men whenever we think it nee
essary. Contracts will compel us to
stay on the job whenever we think we
have real grievances 10 present before
the contract expires"
The pressmen have called a confer
ence OF their branch OF the printing
industry and other branches for to-
morrow, where the question Of gen.
cral strike will be discussed. The con-
ference was called at meeting Of the
Pressmen's Union in Washington lrv-
ing High School, and was voted unani-
mously More than 2,700 were pres
ent. The meeting called a half-holiday
for all pressmen for Wednesday to
enable them to attend the conference.
Commenting yesterday upon the
officials of the international Typo
graphical Union have been working in
collusion with the employing printers
in this city to prevent the realization
of the local unions demands, Marsde n
G.. Scott, president Of the international,
said yesterday:
Some leaders seem to have been
affiliated by shell shock in these troub-
lous days"
Millinery Strike Spreads
Downtown millinery workers voted
yesterday to join the strike Of the up
town employees. The time for calling
the walk out was left in the hands OF
the executive board of the Millinery
and Ladies' Straw Hat Workers. Union
More than 500 employees of the two
yards of the Staten Island Shipbuildine
Corporation were locked out when they
reported to work yesterday morning
because they took last Saturday after
noon off. A. J. Hinton, secretary OF
the company, said the men had beer
warned of the government ruling re-
curing them to work forty-eight hours
a week. and they forfeited their jot
-When they disregarded 1t.
Demanding a thirty hour week
the $500 members Of the New Yorl
local of the International Jewelry
Workers Union voted last night a
Webster Hall, 119 East Eleventh
Street, for a general strike, effective
this morning More than $50 jewelrA
concerns are expected to be affected
by this move.
In 1916 the workers won the forty
eight-hour week Last January the
union leaders gained forty-four- houl
week without a strike. Representa-
tives of several of the manufacturer!
announced that their employers were
ready to accede to the new demand, bu
the leaders decided that ali the mel
will be kept out until two-thlrds OF the
employers give in.
The Brooklyn Union Gas Compan,
obtained temporary injunction yes
terday to restrain the leaders of it
striking employees from interfering
: with the operations of the company il
J any way 1t was alleged by the com
! pany that gas pipes had been f'oode'
with water, meters punctured and EN-
ployes assaulted. Union leaders denie'
responsibility for any such acts. In
order to show cause why permanen
injunction should not be granted IS re
turnable September 80.