The sun., 1919-09-02
LABOR ASKS AN
END TO STRIKES
Six Months of Speeded PrOduc-
ton Urged by. Fedora
ton Committee.
TRUCE FOR HALF A YEAR
Plea Made to GOmpers in Eff
fort to Speed Return to
Normal Basis.
TRUCE FOR HALF A YEAR

A suspension of all strikes, with in
creased production by workmen in all
necessary lines, is urged upon the
American Federation Of Labor by a
committee appointed by James p. Hol-
land, president Of the New York State
Federation.
The national organization is advised
to declare a truce of six months in all
labor disputes, and to prolong this
truce if the President of the United
restore the country to a normal basis.
The report which aims to set tho
wheels of production going at full
speed throughout the country was
made public yesterday through the
cost Of living committee Of the New
York Federation, and copies of it are
to be transmitted at once to Samuel
Gompers, president of the national
body, and the affiliated federations in
all Of the other States, with recon-
mendations for its immediate adoption.
National BODY to Decide.
1t advocates the calling of strikes dur
ing the time of truce only in such cir
cumstances as the executive committee
OF the national organization may be
convinced that employers are seeking to
take advantage of their attitude.
Even in such circumstances tie COM
mittee recommends no strikes should be
called until other employers have bean
given an opportunity to cooperate in ar
effort to settle the difficulty. A cor
tiruation of the labor troubles which
have beset the country during the last
few months are branded by the COR
n,ittee as an invitation to national dis
aster and employees who recently have
gone on strike without the consent OF
their own labor chiefs are scored s.
verely. All bodies affiliated with the
American Federation of Labor are urged
in the report to cooperate with the
President of the United States in his ef-
I forts at reconstruction.
The part of the document embodying
the suggestions for discontinuapce OF
tho present troubles follows:
"As every strike which. stops a fac
tory wheel from turning or otherwise
interrupts the processes of production
SOHtrluulSS 10 TelhTu lne OHlltu oIdlcc
from regaining it's rightful supremacy,
and the people from realizing the pros
perity to which they are entitled, your
committee is of the opinion that every
effort should be made by the New York
state Federation of Labor to discourage
strikes except In cases where vital prin-
ciples of trades unionism are at stake,
or where employers are practising intol-
cradle oppression.
In Hands of Council.
your committee earnestly recon-
mends that the executive council take
steps to cancel and suspend all strikes
| now in progress in New York State. and
to use their influence to prevent the
calling of future strikes except in such
circumstances as, in the opinion of the
executive council, render it imperatively
| necessary to use the strike weapon.
"2. That the truce shall be on the
basis OF the status quo.
"3. That the period of the truce shall
| be six months, or for such longer period
, as President Wilson may require to en-
able him to effect a reduction of the cost
of living
"a. That notice be served on all
employers that any individual, firm or
| corporation which attempts to take ad-
Vantage OF organized laDors s atttuae,
to serve its own interests at the ex-
pense of labor, shall be left for a rea-
| sonable time to such disciplinary
measures as other employers or organi-
cations of employers may wish to put
into effect. and that If disciplinary
measures be not taken by the EN-
ployers themselves, then organized labor
will fight such unfair and disloyal in
dividual, firm or corporation in a man.
ner that will never be effaced from
| the culprit's memory"
The report is signed by John F.
Pierce. chairman, and Isadore Epstein
secretary of the committee making the
| recommendations.