The Wallace miner. [volume] (Wallace, Idaho) 1907-current, 1919-06-12

~ dustrial peace, the spectre or
~ labor strike Is again stalking
. through the Occur d'Alene dis
trict. For several weeks there has
been much activity among local lead
ers of the International Union of Nine
Mill and Smelter Workers, successor
to the Western Federation of Miners
Under the direction of A. w. Muir.
state organizer for the American Fed
Grafton of Labor, unusual efforts have
been made of late to unionize the
mines of the district. and while defin-
ite information on the subject Is un-
obtainable, 1t Is quite generally con-
ceded that these efforts have met with
much success. The union propaganda
was started at time when there was
much dissatisfaction on account OF the
cut of 81 per day in wages and while
the mining companies have since ad-
Vanced the wages SO cents per day,
this did not check the work of the
union advocates. The growth of the
unions had evidently reached point
about a week ago when the leaders
felt justified in defining the issue and
asking recognition from the operators.
Ask for Conference.
| A letter was addressed to the man
ayers of the various mines of the dis
trict by M p Villeneuve, Of Burke,
secretary of the Occur d'Alene Dis
trict Miners Union No ID, lnterna-
tional Union of Mine, Mill and Smelter
Workers, in which they were asked 10
meet him and confer upon the follow
ing subjects:
"First-The establishment Of the g.
hour day in all departments Of the in
dustry in it's true and actual meaning.
"Second--A blanket increase in the
schedule of pay of so cents per day
'@rhird-An agreement to form a
basis of relationship between employ
ers and employees such as can be ar
ranged in friendly conference
MINING Companies Decline.
The mining companies acted as a
unit in declining to enter into the pro-
posed conference. and their reply was
addressed, not to the union, but ITO
ali employees of the Occur dAlene
mines" They pointed out explicitly
that the operators of the district had
adopted the 8-hour day voluntarily pc
fore the law made it compulsory and
are now adherng to 1t strictly.
They referred to the fact that they
had advanced wages so cents per day
within the past month and that the
condition Of the industry does not per-
NIT further increase; that owing to the
continuation Of war prices all the
mines are working on narrow mar
gin and some are actually operating al
loss: that the present scale of $4.1S
:, per day is the same as Butte ano
= higher than the scale in Utah ano
California.
e The third proposition is designated
= as "the old demand of the union fol
= recognition to which they reply tina
e the mines of this district are operated
y on the "open shop" basis, that thi'
= plan will be continued and that ther'
s will be no recognition of the union.
d Will They Strike?
= Much interest is centered in the mex
move Of the union, and what that VII
be is a question upon which opinion
1t divided. Some believe that strlK
: will, be called within the next fey
h days. An open meeting was held a
ID Kellogg Tuesday evening and q
lie Mullan last evening which were ad
J. dressed by union leaders and simiia
RI meeting will be held at the Tamarac
is this afternoon. Whether these meet
lie ings mean a lining up OF the unio
l. forces preparatory to calling a strlR
r. remains to be seen. In some quarter
III the belief prevails that no strike WI
al he called at this time and that u
10. union will ask the department OF IL
1g tor TO send a representative here In
el effort to bring the operators and unio
n together. In fact it is reported that
a representative of the department IS e.
'ct pected here this week.
en- Mining Companies Answer.
lls "To al, employees Of the Occur d'Alel
gh mines:
a "The Occur d'Alene Mining compa
nd jes have all received communlcati
ell signed by M. p Villeneuve, secreta
ter of the Occur d'Alene District NINE
de, Union No. IA, international Union
ny Mine, Mill and Smelter Workers, pu
ess porting to represent the employees
in -.-----------
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