The Ward County independent. [volume] (Minot, Ward County, N.D.) 1902-1965, 1919-05-01
THE STRIKE SITUATION
is STILL UNSETTLED
General Committee Dismissed When
Judge Palda Did Not Return
From ChicagO-Strikers DO
Not Favor Compromise

ton brot about by the strike OF some
of the employees at the plant of the
Northern States Power Co.
The company's legal representative,
l.. J. Palda, Dr., who went to Chicago
last week, expecting to be home Mon
day with his answer as to whether
the company would accept the con-
tract of the strikers or not, did not
return and at this writing is not yet
back. He did telephone from Chi
cage to his partner, c. d. Aaker,
Monday, stating that the conference
with the Byllesby authorities was still
in progress, but that he expected to
leave Chicago Monday night and
asked Mr.. Aaker, to notify 7. B. Huff,
chairman of the union workers COM
mittee. While no one knows just
what action the Byllesby Co. will
take on the demands of the strikers,
it would appear from Palda's mes
sage, that they were willing to make
some sort of compromise.
The union men Of the city appear
to be divided as to the course that
the strikers should pursue. Some
of them say that inasmuch as the an
swer was not received up to 6 o'clock
Monday evening, all negotiations are
off and there is nothing to do except
to start an agitation at once for a
municipal plant. Other union work
ers, headed by T. B. Huff of the cleo
tricians' union, state that the better
way to settle the strike is to appoint
committee of union workers, who
are given full power to negotiate with
the Northern States Power Co. with
the hopes that the company will recog
nize their union and grant them high
er, wages and better conditions gen.
orally. Mr.. Huff states that large
percentage of the union men favor
this plan and are averse to consider
ing the proposition of municipal
plant at this time, as he says it is en-
tirely foreign to the subject. What
the union workers want, Mr.. Huff
says, is to see the union represented
by the striking employees, recognized.
The committee, he says, should drive
the best bargain possible with the
company, which he believes are dis
posed to be fair.
The strikers, it appears, do not fav
or any compromise, standing on their
contract as submitted as the basis for
settlement,
While the company's local manager,
J. T. Mcclure, has made no statement
for publication, it is understood that
he would welcome such conference
as Mr.. Huff suggests, looking towards
the settlement Of the question involv-
ed by the strike Mr.. Mcclure states
that up to Thursday noon, he had not
been approached by any committee,
proposing a compromise. Mr.. Nc
CURE is the company's manager, and
as such, is compelled to follow in
structions from the Chicago office, and
just what action he would take should
such a committee offer to meet him,
depends largely on the report that
Palda brings back from Chicago
AT meeting Of the general COM
mittee held Monday evening at the
Sons of Norway Hall, the committee
was dismissed after report was made
that Palda had not returned with his
answer.
Minutes of meeting held by Local
Union No. 81, International Station
airy Firemen and Oilers, affiliated
with the American Federation Of La
Dor, Wednesday evening, April 80,
1919, and other union organizations
of Minot.
Moved, seconded and carried that
MI. Lee Brundage, vice president of
the American Federation of Labor for
North Dakota, be authorized to write
at once to headquarters with view of
getting all the information possible
for the successful carrying out of the
strike and to stop the shipment Of
coal from the mines operated by union
men to the Northern States Power
Company.
Moved, seconded and carried that
immediate steps be taken to have all
telephone and light service furnished
by the Northern States Power Com
pany discontinued as far as possible
and that in order to insure the success
of this plan of action immediate steps
be taken to inform all union men and
their sympathizers that it was unani-
mously decided by the union men as
sembled in mass meeting Wednesday
night to take this course of action.
"WHEREAS, T. B. Huff has for a
number of days tried to create dis
sension among the ranks Of~the strik-
ers, sympathixers and Union men, and
WHEREAS, We believe that the
said I. B. Huff is acting as a spy to
give out all the information he can
secure to the enemies of organized "a
Dor, and
'.WHEREAS, the said 7. 3. Huff
appointed himself as a press agent
4 and in that capacity gave out untrue
and malicious reports to the press,
and
"WHEREAS, such press reports
could not have any other object in
union strikers and to bring about the
triumph Of the ~. Northern thsaT. States !; 1 Power
men, and
4 "WHEREAS, on Wednesday, April
80. 1919, between the hours Of 10 A.
M, and / p. M. the said T. B. Huff, in
company with several Of the Union