The labor world. [volume] (Duluth, Minn.) 1896-current, 1920-06-12
..REFus:E'''T|'o!|D deal !!
with COMMITTEE:
.0F.UNlIoN LAB|0R
Local Mill Owners Still Holding
Out Stubborn|y Against
Collective Bargaining.

The strike of the Cabinet Makers
and Mill Mems union No. 1884 which
was called June 1, is still on and the
members are determined to stand out |
until a fair settlement is made. One
Of the officers of the union said to i
The Labor WORLD yestea4Sdda5te that the
mill owners" are 'stubborrilyi refusing
to have anything whatever to do with
the union or any Of its committees.
"They have no tilted u.s." he said;
that they are willing to deal with a
shop COMMITTEES of their own en-
ployes as individual employers, but
they positively will not recognize such
a thing as a union of mill men.
Nov, we have had two strikes in
the last two years and the same issue
Is involved. Unless the employers
wake up and recognize that they are
living in 1920 and not in 1850, we will
have these fights every year until
they admit the right Of their employees
to organize and consent to deal with
a committee from the union. So. we
might as we'll fight the issue out now
and have it over with. It may take a
little longer. but we expect to win in
the end, because Justice demands it.
Season Not Slack.
1.-THE employers say this is a slack
season, and yet there are demands
from every section of the country to
speed up production. Local building
contractors tell us they cannot pro-
coed with their operations because Of
their inability to get mill work and
supplies. We know that the employers
are camouflaging when they say that
there is little work on hand. Indeed,
one Of them with his foreman spent
all of this morning in an attempt to
induce some Of the members to desert
the union and return to work, be-
cause they were needed badly there
It Is true that all of the mills are
operating to some extent, but they
are doing SO with ,unskilled labor and
children. We have '142 members and
about one hundred are involved in the
strike. The: others are: employed in
shops, :, that are: not. affected by this
strike, such as the shipyards and the
Duluth Show, Case company. We have
lost about 10 members and not more
than two in one shop, so that no shop
has a sufficient number Of skilled
mechanics to turn out any volume OF
work of. any quantity such as is de-
manded BY the trade.
/: Want Nominal Increase.
eve are asking for an increase in
wages Of 80 :per5cent: A year ago
we settled up ON. a. basis Of 55h
cents an hour minimum to IS cents
an: hour. Some: Of the, employers vio-
lated this. agreement and employed
men, as low ais. Is cents an hour. Our
new wage scale, II agreed to, would
inc ease wages from a minimum Of
55M cents to 70 cents. and first-class
wages from IS to-: IS cents. The mills
have offered to: employees heretofore
enjoying a. first-class rate an increase
ranging from IS to rs cents an hour.
No. increases have been offered to
men now receiving the lower wage
scale.
There is absolutely no reason why
the mill men should take the arbi-
trary, position against us that they.
are doing. I have had occasion to
examine some statements for material
supplied by local mill owners and the
prices they get for such are a shock
and a revelation They are profiteer-
ing beyond reason. so much SO that
they have become greedy and keep
for themselves the immense profits
they are exacting from their pur-
| chasers without giving to their EN-
ployes wage sufficient to meet their
ordinary living expenses. We are pre-
pared to hold out all summer, unless
the employers agree to deal with a
committee from our union and con-
sent to a reasonable increase in wages.
The Real Issue.
1.-The. question Of the so-called open
or closed, shop is not the issue so
much as are the greater questions of
collective, bargaining and q decent
living wage.
"Mr. Ed Melvin. general organizer
for. the brotherhood Of carpenters and
joiners was sent to Duluth by the In
ternational officers for the purpose of
helping to adjust the local strike. Mr..
Melvin remained here several days
and made g. number Of attempts to
interview the employers, but they
stubbornly refuse to recognize any
representative" from organized labor
The employees at the small shop OF
Rerglund & Peterson are not involv-
ed in the strike, and it is understood
that this firm has manifested; desire
to sign up with the union.
"The state law recognizes employ
ment in planning mills and sash and
door sfActoffes@ sas shtazahfedf g On, Fac
count or the dangerous machinery re-
quired~to turn out the work. While
it does not necessarily require skill
full man to operate some of the ma
chimes, the danger surrounding them
Is so great that men must have had
experience and must show great care
in their operation. It has been re-
ported. at union headquarters tia;
four Of the non-union men employed
at the min Of Radford & Wright have
been injured since the strike began
It is said that three men have lost
their fingers and one man had his
foot badly cut"
| JENSEN ON OARss.
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