The labor journal. [volume] (Everett, Wash.) 1909-1976, 1920-04-09
STRIKE SITUATION
IN THE BAY CITIES


builders of the bay district was pre-
dicted by NJ. j. MCGUIRE, business
agent of BoiIermakers' Union No. 6,
last Friday night at a meeting of
the San Francisco Labor Council.
Several shipbuilders have express
! ed willingness to settle with the
metal trades unions as soon as they
I can find means to obtain steel, Nc
CURE said. Fear that the Steel
Trust will withhold steel if they
come to terms with their men is
the only thing that is keeping these
shipbuilders from making a settle
ment, according to Mcclure.
"The arbitrary will Of the San
Francisco representative of the
Steel Corporation alone prevents
the other shipbuilders of the bay
district from coming to terms with
their men," Mcclure said. The
purpose of the Steel Corporation is
two-fold. In the first place, it is
making the local situation part of
its nation wide fight against union
labor. Second, it is trying to ruin
its smaller competitors by involving
them in fight they cannot survive,
but that does not seriously affect
the Steel corporation with its ire
mendous resources.
April 1 marks the beginning of
the seventh month of the strike. The
workers are standing fast with a
solidarity that has won the admira-
ton of union men throughout the
country. They are fighting for the
principle of unionism and they will
continue to fight until that princi-
pie is established"
There will be no abatement in
| the prosecution of the strike dur
ing the presence in San Francisco OF
the international officers of the
unions involved, according to Off
Gals of the Bay Cities Metal Trades
| Council. The struggle will be con-
tinued with full vigor until con-
ditions deemed honorable are won,
the officials declared.
To date the employers have indi-
Gated no intention to make a settle
ment. Indications are that no set
Element will be made and that the
fight will be continued more stub
bornly and on a larger scale than
| before.
The metals trades unions have
adopted an attitude of watchful and
rather skeptical waiting. Little con-
fidence is felt that a settlement will
be reached and the unions are de-
termined to continue the fight for
another six months, if necessary.
The metal trades workers realize
they hold the key to shipyard and
foundry production in the bay dis
trict and refuse to give their SER
vices to the employers at the lat
ters' valuation.
Production in the shipyards and
foundries remains at a standstill.
The employers are frantically adver-
Using for men, but have been I'M
able to obtain men competant to
do the expert work of shipbuilding.
Reports of Shipping Board inspec-
tors on duty in the yards are to the
effect that every piece of work has
to be done several times before it is
approved, and that in many cases
work has to be abandoned because
no competent men are available
Additional commercial shops are
daily signing with the Bay Cities
Metal Trades Council. With the
apprehension that they will be un-
able to obtain steel if they come to
terms with the unions removed,
these shops show great willing
ness to grant union demands.
The shipyard employers have
made desperate attempt to turn
public sentiment against the strik-
ers by publishing four-column ad-
vertisements in the daily papers of
the bay cities containing lists OF
strike-breakers alleged to have been
attacked by union men.
Union men reply to these charges
by characterizing the strike as lone
of the most peaceful in the history
of industry" and back their state
ment by calling attention to the fact
that not one union man has been
convicted of assault or violence
since the beginning of the strike.
The scabs employed in the ship
yards are recruited mostly from the
ranks of professional strike-break-
ers. They are vicious, turbulent
l.. -