New-York tribune., 1919-03-22
Strike
AT Passaic Ends
In Compromise
l3, 900 Workers to Return
OH Basis of 48-Hour Week
and Recognition of Their
Union by Manufacturers
,Sian Corresnondence

Stag Correspondence
PASSAIC, March 21.-The strike of
some $4,000 textile workers here was
settled tonight through the Offices of
Charles j. Fury, mediator of the De-
partment of Labor. The woollen manu-
facturers agreed to recognize the work.
ers' union, grant them representation
through shop and department commit
tees and accord the forty eight-hour
week. Wages are to be adjusted through
an arbitration committee of five-two
to represent the manufacturers, two
the strikers and one the public.
agreement came after q morning
clash between strikers and special po-
Ilcemen, as a result of which one
striker, Tony Babey, was sentenced to
year in Jail and three others were
sentenced to three months in jail each.
Three women were fined
The police declare Babey will be rec
ommended to Federal authorities for
deportation.
Others Expected to Settle
Settlement Of the strike will. it is
believed bring about settlement in
the other industries here. Matthew
Pluhar, president of the general union
which includes all the strikers, said
the woollen operatives would return
to work next Tuesday,
The mills which settled with the
strikers are the Botany Worsted Mills.
the Forstmann e. Huffman Company
Garfield Worsted Mills, Gera Mills
and New Jersey Worsted Spinning
Company.
Beginning as an attempt on the part of
unorganized textile workers to obtain
the fortyfour hour week at the same
pay as the tifty-fve hour week. the
strike developed into a general demon
stratlon on the part of cotton, silk,
handkerchief. cigar wire and enamel
workers, to the number Of some $4,000,
of seven distinct nationalities.
In the seventh week of the strike all
these Passaic workers were organized
IN one union, independent and unaffil-
lated with any national organization.
Met In Separate Halls
Although the Independent Union.
General Workers, Textile Industry.
Passaic and Vicinity, as the organiza
ton is known, has general officers.
each of the trades and employees of
each factory met in separate halls. At
o'clock each day reports came in to
the president of the union, Mathew
Pluhar, SO that the central body was
Informed Of activities throughout the
city.
The list of shops struck by members
OF this industrial union of Passaic in
cludes the following: Five woollen
mills, / cotton mill. 1 silk works, 16
handkerchief works, rubber plant, /
wire works, l enamel factory and
cigar factory
The demands for all the trades we're
largely the same, with slight varja-
t.ions in detail All asked the forty
four-hour week, recognition of the
UNION, permission to form shop COM
mlttees for negotiation with employers
and increase in wages
Benjamin +. Turner, captain of de-
tectives of the Passac police force.
characterized the strike as a "familv
affair" At all times he said the 10,
lice were on the best of terms with
the strikers. In fact. the strikers
cooperated with the police to the ex-
tent of notifying them of the arrival
OF stranger members of the |. w. W..
who were promptly escorted to tho
railroad station and put on outgoing
trains e