The Denver Jewish news., 1919-12-31

with the Union.
The strike which was called in or
der to establish an eight-hour day ana
Il minimum wage scale of fifty dollars
Tor the clerks did not loom bright with
prospects. The druggists are not pos
scssed of the usual fighting spirit and
fighting ability of the ordinary work
er. Their spirit is quite different, and
moreover. the police did not permit
more than one man to picket a store.
This caused the strike from the very
;eginning to he a shaky affair.
Some little while ago, DIR. Royal S.
Copeland, Health Commissioner of
New York, made an attempt TO arbi-
trate the strike, but his efforts were
without result.
The strike was perhaps original in
the form III which il broke out For
n time il appeared that it was to be
conducted on an industrial basis. The
graduate pharmacists and clerks
marched side by side with the negro
porters of the stores. But such harm
ony did not last long. The difference
between the two soon began to be felt,
and as usual it led to no great spirit
Of unity between the strikers.
The remaining strikers are now re-
turning to the stores under non-union
conditions. In spite OF the fact that
the Union Officers declare that the
strike was not entirely successful, the
situation of the drug clerks has been
improved by the strike. Willingly or
unwillingly, the proprietors will have
To increase the salaries of their EN-
ployees.
The strike of the millinery workers
Of New York lasted almost thirteen
weeks Nearly 1900 workers took
part in it. The principal issues of the
strike were 44-hour working week.
an increase in wages, and the recogni-
lion of the Frame Makers Union.
From the beginning the Union has
sought to introduce week work in
stead of piece work. The Union con
sidered this an important measure in
lettering their hours of work. The
manufacturers, however, did not wish
under any circumstances to accede to
this demand. But this in itself would
not have led to strike.
4 new obstacle arose here. For
The last four years n separate branch
of the millinery trade has been form
ing-the frame makers. In this branch
of the trade. about LOO persons are
employed. and they constitute a sep
arute Union local. The Union demand
I'd that these workers be included in
the collective agreement. The Manu-
! facturers again did not want to agree
| to this. And this was what led to the
strike WHICH lasted for over three
months.
The strike was instituted and fl
nanced by the United Cloth Hat and
Capmakers of North America. with
which the milliners are connected.
The proprietors organized themselves
into two associations, the Uptown and
the Downtown groups. The Uptown
Association is composed of the wealth.
ier manufacturers, while the Down
ufacturers. Hitherto, the trade has
been organized downtown only. The
result was that the strike had II weak
er and stronger side. The Union
appeared to be on the verge of con-
trolling and crippling the trade down
town. Uptown, the manufacturers
were able after fashion to continue
with their work by employing ''scabs.'
In many shops, the workers did not
even go out on strike.
About two weeks ago. conferences
were held between the Union leaders
and the Downtowon Manufacturers
Association. These conferences. how
ever, brought about nothing in the
way of results. The leaders on both
sides could not come to any agreement
concerning the recognition of the Trim
mers' Union.
These interrupted conferences were
later resumed however. Their non
partisan chairman was DIR. Henry
Noskowitz. Finally both sides came
to an agreement.
The bosses will employ workers who
are in good standing in the Union. All
strikers are to return to their work.
Forty-four hours instead of 30 win
constitute a working week: and in adj
dition the workers are to receive an
increase of from 16 to 20 per cent. The
other points on which an understand
ing could not be reached will be turn
Cd over to a board of arbitration.
The settlement, as has been stated.
was made only with the Downtown
Association. Neither side may claim