The Connecticut labor press. (New Haven, Conn.) 191?-1921, 1920-05-08

The controversy dates back to last
November when the bakers asked for
an increase in wages but didn't get it.
This despite the fact that the price of
bread was raised to the public on the
plea that increased costs of labor and
materials made it necessary Finally
the bakers submitted a wage agreement
calling for $40 week for foremen and
dough mixers, and $38 for bench hands
and $50 for other bakery workers, stpu-
lating May l as the time the wages
should become effective. They also pro-
tested against being compelled to work
on Sundays, which they had been doing
to help the employers out during the
war shortage of help and which the
master bakers wanted to continue. To
do away with this double time Sas
asked for Sunday work
The employers also wanted the 4
o'clock reporting hour restored, al
though for the past two years the
bakers have been starting at O'Clock,
and that hour has proved early enough.
The employers claimed o'clock was
necessary to stop out-of-town bread
coming in here but the workers see it
different. The demand is made by the
big" bakeries and done solely, the men
claim, to put>the little fellows out of
business and thus gain contral of the
entire bread situation in the city
After several conferences with the
employers the journeymen finally
agreed to drop the doub1e-time demand
for Sunday and agree to time and one
half although every other worker gets
double time for Sundays and holidays
AS May l approached and the other
questions were not settled the journey
men agreed with the bosses to continue
work on May l on the promise that on
that afternoon or evening the employ
ers committee and the workers repre-
sentatives would get together and dis
cuss the matter and come to some
agreement or arbitrate.
The journeymen bakers held strictly
to their promise, went to work and got
out the usual over Sunday supply of
bread. When the time for the confer
ence came, however, the employers alb
solute1y refused to recognize the COM
nittee and practically threw the men
out So out they are and will now stay
out until the matter is settled to their |
According to the report made to the |
Trades Council on Thursday night the |
entire trouble is caused by the big
bakers who are seeking to put the little |
fellows out of business. BY getting
heir crews on the job at o'clock with
heir machinery and other implements
hey could So food the city with early
,read that the little fellow would have
10 market when he got around and
would soon have to quit. The drivers
n this move, the Council was told, are
he Thompson Co., Blanchard, Eman-
fIa L
on being part of. the Massachusetts,
Bakery Trust, and chief antagonist of
he organized worker. Their claim that
outside competition makes o'clock
ecessary is absurd inasmuch as S
clock has been the reporting hour for
wo years and there is only one firm
rom outside doing any business here
nd that has been doing it for years
Without any effect on the local bakers.
is the local little fellows that they are
rying to hit and put out of business.
The little fellows realize this and p
f them have already and did readily
ign the new agreement with the work.
rs. They made no claim of not being
BILE to pay it and are silent about any
aise in the price of bread, aware no
oubt that the workers could quickly
efute this claim as they are doing
gainst the big fellows who are now
laking that cry.
To bring to their aid public SYM
athy the master bakers are having
leir drivers circulate report that the
are demanding a scale of
an hour This is decidedly and en-
not so as the scale asked calls
,r an eight hour day and the highest
age demanded is $40 for foremen and
lperienced mixers. Men on machines
* half hour less day because that
continuous work and after seven ]
e man is a piece of the machine HIM
If and utterly exhausted from the
'ntinual pounding and jabbing re-
tired to operate the machine $
In further refutation of their claim l
at the price must go up the journey |
en- point to the Jewish and Italian t
lkeries in the city where the men are I
i'd from $40 to SIS week more than H
e American bakers are asking, the a
af given by the bakers to the public t