The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1919-06-07
FEWER WORKING
HOURS FOR $50
New Schedule Decided Upon
at Three BrattlebOro
Plants
ALL EMPLOYEES
Estey Organ Co., S. A. Smith Mfg. Co.,
and White River Chair Co. Adopt
Shorter Week Without Reducing En-
ployes' Wages.

About $50 employees in wood working
plants in Brattleboro will work fewer
hours henceforth for the same wages as
at present, under agreements reached
between them and their employees and
which went into effect today The con-
Germs reducing the number of hours are
the Estey Organ Co., the White River
Chair Co, and the S. A. Smith Mfg.
Co.
Requests for a shorter week without
reduction in pay were made of the
White River Chair CO. and the S. A.
Smith Mfg. Co., and a similar request
was about to be made of the Estey
Organ Co, but shortly before the Estev
plant closed yesterday afternoon Col. J.
Gray Estey called the employees together
and gave them to understand that instead
of the present 59-hour schedule the plant
would 90 on 55-hhour basis, 10 hours
a day for five days and five hours Sat
urday, closing at noon Each en-
ployee 5 pay is to be arranged so that
he or she will receive no less than here
tofore, At the Office Col. Estey de-
ellned to discuss the matter, bat the
employees and the heads of the other
concerns affected understand the facts
TO be as stated above. There are nearly
300 employees at the Estey plant
In reply TO the request of the em-
ployes of the s. A. Smith Mfg Co. for a
54-hour week on the present fi0-hour
basis of wages, the company this morn
ing made the employees counter propo-
sition of the 55-hour week, and the EN-
ployes accepted the proposition as sat
| isfactory. The factory viii run 10 hours
a day, to u and / to 6, each dav ex-
! cept Saturday, closing at noon Saturday
but the yard men will work nine hours
4 day each day. This affects about 140
hands, and the new schedule went into
effect this noon. The factory is closed
this afternoon and the men will receive
the new schedule of pay for the past
week
At the White River Chair Co. IS of
flee today it was stated that a PROPOSE
tion had been made to the employees
which was satisfactory to them, which
was to run the factory on a 54-houl
basis with the present 60-hours nav
This affects about 120 hands. The
working schedule will be as follows.
4 During the months of June, July, Au
gust and September the hours from
Monday to Friday. inclusive, will b,
from 7 to y and 1890 to $50 and OF
Saturday from Z to IL. During the othel
months in the year the hours on eacl
of the six weekdays will be 730 to 1.
and 1890 to 5.
To show that the men as a body ap
preciated the company S decision, a
the noon hour they gathered in from
of the office and presented the followin,
address to Mr. Thompson:
The petition while not presented
possibly, in the channel it should hav
been, by representatives of the EN-
ployes in person, was not done in
spirit of malice or spitefulness, but wa
prompted on the one hand by our cor
stantly increasing cost of all kinds o
living conditions, and on the other by
spirit of freedom now being eniove
by our fellow workers through thi
glorious land of ours. And now, NJ
Thompson, these men wish to expres
their full and heartiest appreciation q
your great kindness and generosity, nc
only by their presence before YOU q
this moment, but by also their unite
determination as here expressed to a
ways be faithful to yourself, vot
trust and your interests in such a mar
ner as you may never have a moment
cause to regret this grand, good act.
And now to enable these workers
emphasize to you the assurance of the
r sincerity and good will we will call fl
IS three rousing cheers.