The labor journal. [volume] (Everett, Wash.) 1909-1976, 1920-05-14
THE METAL TRADES
STRIKE SITUATION

IN Dan francisco May Day mark
ed the beginning of the eighth
month of the Bay Cities Metal
Trades strike, in which more than
10000 workers have been involved
since October l, 1919. Speaking
on the occasion before the San
Francisco Labor Council, Frank C.
Miller, Secretary of the Bay Cities
Metal Trades Council, said:
"The strike is in as good condi-
ton today as it was seven months
ago. We have made wonderful
progress during the last few weeks.
We have won over virtually all the
commercial shops and will soon be
in position to concentrate our at
tack on the shipyards.
"The metal trades workers are
fighting with the spirit that has
made San Francisco famous in
union labor circles everywhere. 1t
will be remembered that 1t was
some 5000 metal trades workers of
the Bay District who in 1901 fought
for eleven months for the nine-hour
day. This heroic fight established
the unions in so strong a position
that not until last October, eighteen
years later, did the employers dare
to attempt to disregard the rights of
the workers.
San Francisco has the reputation
of never having lost an important
labor fight. There Is not a chance
in the world of this fight being
lost.
I'VE have fought for seven
months. We intend to continue the
fight until victory is complete. Our
men are prepared to do the fight
ing, but to carry on the battle with
full vigor, they must have financial
assistance. In exact ratio as union
labor men and union labor women
value union principles, they will
support the winning fight of the
Bay Cities Metal Trades workers
that is being waged against the
greatest advocate of breaking labor
unions in the United States-the
Steel Trust
Miller further reported that be-
cause of their inability to get
skilled mechanics to work in their
yards under non-union conditions,
the shipbuilders of the Bay District
are unable to undertake new con-
tracts, or even to do the repair
work they have on hand. Twenty
three vessels belonging to the
United States Shipping Board are
laid up in the Bay District ports |
waiting for repairs, according to
Miller. The Shipping Board re-
Gently ruled that all important re-
pairs to its vessels would in future |
be done by the Navy Department at
Mare Island. 1t seems that the |
plants of the Bay District shipbuild-
ers are SO disorganized that they |
cannot do even minor repair work.
A veritable panic has overtaken
the strikebreakers employed in
these shipyards. Hundreds of
strikebreakers are leaving the yards
daily. When they leave, in most
cases they leave not only their Jobs,
but they take rtains and boats that
will carry them far from the Bay
Cities.
This exodus is primarily due to
the remarkable intelligence system
the strikers have developed. Every
strikebreaker is known to the union
mn, and the strikebreakers cannot
appear In public without being
made decidedly uncomfortable.
The shipbuilders are doing their
utmost to intimidate the strikers.
One of their imported thugs, en-
ployed as a guard at the Union Iron
Works, a few days ago shot and
killed Thomas Laughran, a member
of the local Boilermakers' Union.
The shooting occurred a full half
mile from the plant of the Union
Iron Works. Laughran was shot
when he refused to move on at the
guards bidding. What right the
guard had to control the movements
of a resident of San Francisco on