The Butler County press. [volume] (Hamilton, Ohio) 1900-1946, 1920-12-10
BOWSER LOCKED OUT
MEN
Of Fort Wayne, Indiana, Re-
quest Cooperation

Fort Wayne, Ind, Nov. II, 1920
To the Organized Labor Movement
Everywhere, Greetings:
We are not asking you for money,
or financial assistance, of any kind,
just comply with our request for
MORAL assistance and this will be
more helpful to US than all the finance
you might be able to give, and this we
believe you will grant since as broth
ers we are entitled to it.
Seventeen months ago, the S. F..
Bowser & Company, Inc, manufact-
urers of gasoline and oil pumps used
for automobile sidewalk filing stat
tions, garages, groceries and dry
cleaning outfits, locked out all the
trades employed in that factory, be-
cause they refused to accept and sign
the individual contract, which contract
was intended to, and would have de-
prived them of collective bargaining,
through committees chosen by the
men themselves, had they signed it.
They therefore refused to agree to
any such company welfare plan and
were locked out; all men in the fac
tory came out, as they were solidly
organized, and have remained out, with
no intentions of returning until fair
settlement is made This company
had been dealing with the union COM
mittee for the past four years with
apparently the best of feeling exist
ing between the men and themselves.
as the statement of Mr.. Bowser, the
company president shows, upon the
conclusion of former negotiation,
when he said: This settlement was
the best investment ever made in my
business career"
As a counter proposition we submit
ted our plan, one along the lines we
had been dealing in the past; not a
closed shop, nor control of the shop
not TO dictate the company's policy,
not to take over the shop, not to force
them to hire only men who carried
union cards, no, not even signed
agreement, but just simply right of
collective bargaining through our cho-
sen representatives instead Of those
chosen in the shop under the super
vision and influence of the company
officials.
We believed and still believe we
have right to bargain in that man
ner, as our labor is the only thing
on earth we have to sell, and should
be given permission to counsel with
one another and reach some reason
able figure as to the value of that la
Dor; however, because of this being
our position we are on the streets.
Now, What Are We Asking You
Sisters and Brothers to Do?
We are asking that, when any one
in your city or territory begins to
install any sidewalk pumps, investi-
gate and learn if possible if it is the
product of the S. f. Bowser & Com
pany. from Fort Wayne, Ind, and if
so, whether he be a machinist or pipe
filter installing the job, explain that
this is an unfair concern, and induce
him to refuse to install the same, for
every time that pump or outfit is
installed, which has been made by 4
company that is absolutely opposed to
a reasonable method of bargaining
with their employees, such as that OF
the American labor movement, then il
does rot merely assist to disrupt and
destroy the organizations that were
locked out, but also strikes directly
or indirectly at your own organization
for it aims at the destruction Of the
principle upon which your organiza
ton as we'll as ours is builded.
The organizations locked out were
Machinists, boilermakers, sheet meta
workers, carpenters, patternmakers
painters and laborers, and if we a:
we'll as you, allow these organizations
to be deprived of their natural God
given rights, it will only be an incen
tive for other employers to do th'
same. and you may be the next vic
tins, so we ask you to remember th'
name, S. F. Bowser & Co., Inc, whicl
lis painted on every article they pro
duce, and carry out the request q
contained herein.