New-York tribune., 1919-01-28
Textile Mills
" Orkers Make
Strike Threat
Operatives to Quit Work
February 3 to Enforce
48-Hollr Week Demand

A labor crisis Of national s,ope in
volving industries engaged in manu-
featuring silk, cotton and woollen
goods, IS imminent unless employers in
these trades grant an eight-hour day
ay February 9.
John Golden, president of the United
Textiles Workers of America. an
nounced yesterday that if this conces-
slor is not made generally on Feb
ruary 3. emDlo-os j. this industry
throughout the country have planned
TO work no longer than eight hours on
mat date and each day thereafter. This
M ioimatlon was conveyed by Mr.
Golden to the reconstruction commits
SION recently appointed by Governor
aired T.. Smith for the purpose of
adjusting labor disputes that arise dur
lNg the transition period
ne textile workers, who now work
Hlty- iour hours week voiced de-
mand for forty-eight hour schedule
at thelr convention in New York last
November. n Employers. MIR Golden said
have not granted the shorter hours
nor have they made any efforts toward
4 compromise. Wage demands are not
involved in the controversy, although
the workers ask the same pay for the
shorter week. Employees were willing
TO work tlttY-four hours 4 week as long
as the factories We're engaged only on
government war contracts. Mr. Golden
explained, but the industries have
since adjusted their business to fill
domestic contracts and the workers no
longer arc contentod with the longer
schedule.
a
commission viii begin an investigation
Thursday, and perhaps would go to
other textile centres in the state.
he effort to establish a countrywide
eight-hour schedule is being indicated
by mass meetings and forums in af-
lectcd locaiities, with addresses bv of
icials Of the American Federation of
Labor, which has pledged its support to
the movement.
Nationwide Strikes Planned
Mr.. Golden, explaining reports Of
strike threats in the textile towns of
the Mohawk Valley, New York. and the
big mill centres of New England. said
last night that these movements are
part of d nationwide effort to put tho
textile trades on an eight hour basis
February 3.
The United Textile Workers Of
America al its annual convention held
IN this city last November,' said he,
voted to fix the standard day at eight
hours and make it effective February 3.
In carrying out that vote there will be
strikes on that day in every mill cen
tire of the country where the eight hour
day is not now the rule 1t Will hit
the South, hitherto not organized, as
we'll as other sections, as it Will the
highly organized mill towns of New
England
The order viii affect approximately
l,O000 600 workers.
81 have Just come back from ten
days organizing trip through the
South. We have organized in Column
s. c., and Chattanooga and Knoxville
IN Tennessee. With the exception of
Knoxville, where we have had good
union, all Of this is practically virgin
territory. There have been sporadic
strike movements in the Southern
textile mills before, but this is the
first time it has been organized
Wage Question Not Involved
"To-morrow we carry the fight into
New England Frank Morrison secre-
tary of the American Federation of
Labor; J. j. Manning, of the United
NIeti ultlll " Hl hclo, uOU'dS MI
Nahon. vice president of the United
Textile Workers, and myself, with
local speakers, VIII address mass meet
ings of mill workers in Providence and
Pawtucket Wednesday we go into
Fail River and New Bedford. Thurs
day we return to New York to take part
in the conference Governor Alfred f.
Smith has called to avoid any trouble
in the mills upstate.
"Thcre is absolutely no question of
wages involved In the mills most of
the workers are on piece work. 1t is
our contention, and this is borne out
by experience, that they Will do as
much work and consequently earn as
much in the eight hours as they now
do in nine. On the nlne-h hour basis
men and women are so well played
out they do not get maximum produc
tion.
"Most of the textile mills of the