Putnam patriot., 1919-02-14
STRIKE AT NO.
GROSVENOR- DALE
Some of the Loomfxers and
Weavers Refused to Go In
Wednesday Afternoon
Claim Three Men We're Discharged
Without Cause and That Union
Is Disseminated Against

A number of loom fixers and weav-
ers in the mill of the Grosvenor-Dale
Company, North Grosvenor-Dale,
went out at noon Wednesday and are
now on strike. Just how many are
out is not known. The strikers claim
a large number, while at the mill of
fee it is reported that all of the de-
partments are running full without
doubling up except the weaving de-
partment, where about 700 looms are
stopped.
In an interview with Patriot rep
resentative Thursday afternoon just
before a meeting of strikers was held
in Foresters' hall, North Grosvenor-
Dale, Albert Langevin, of Fall River,
organizer of the United Textile
Workers of America, affiliated with
the American Federation of Labor,
gave out the following statement. he
said that two or three months ago
two locals were formed in North Gros-
venor-Dale, one by the loom tlxers
and the other by the weavers. He
said that since the organizations were
perfected that the company had DIS
eliminated against the members and
that they had not been treated civilly
by some of the overseers. lie SAID
that last week three union men were
discharged and the reason of the dis
charge was not given. The matter
was communicated to headquarters
and that he was sent to North Gros-
venor-Dale to investigate.
Langevin said that he went to the
mill office to have talk with the
agent, but the agent refused to talk
with him, and that he was elected by
member of the state police. He
said that he was told by the state po-
hceman that he would be given half
an hour to leave the state, but that
he was still on the job.
Asked just what the object OF the
strike was, he said that it was for the
reinstatement of the three men dis
charged, civil treatment by the over
seers and fair play for the union men.
Asked if there was any objection to
having non-union employees, he said
there was none whatever, but that
they wanted members of the union to
have the same treatment as non-un-
ion employees.
Asked if the strike would be con-
Quoted peacefully, he said: "They
have said we are connected with the
|. w. w. This is not true. l never
belonged to that organization. We
do not believe in violence and we
preach against it, So far we have not
even picket-d. and we are conducting
a fair fight. We are opposed to the
teachings of the l. W. W."
He said that state police were in
the village as we'll as town officers,
and that men in soldiers uniforms
were doing guard duty. He said he
had heard that the strikers would be
evicted from the company's tenements
unless they went to work in "a hours.
Asked if there had been any en-
! deavor to cause a strike at the mill
| in Grosvenor-D Dale, he said: "Not yet,
! but there will be if we do not get
what we ask" He further stated
that it was expected that Thomas F.
Mcmahon of Providence would come
/ to the village to attend the next
meeting. Mcmahon is first vice pres
ident of the United Textile Workers
! of America.
There were between fifty and sew
enty people in the hall, including
twelve or fifteen women.
| At the office of the company there
was no desire 20 talk or to give out
the company's side Of the controver-
sy. The only statement made was
| that the mechanical department was
running full and also the cardingr
spinning and cloth rooms. That the
work is going mas usual with doub-
ling up.
1t was admitted that in the weave
room about 700 looms were stopped,
or. putting it the other way around
that 1900 looms were running out OF
2 total of $500 AS a weaver runs
from IL to 20 looms this would seem
to mean that about 40 or so weayers
wero out.
The strike leader claimed that SOC
emploves were out. A striker after
the meeting gave as his opinion that
about zoo were cut. But from the
statement given out from the mil
office it would seem that from Their
way Of putting it not over rs EN-
ployes are away from their jobs
There surely was a hum of industry
to be heard from the mill Office an
from the outside Thursday afternoon