The Connecticut labor press., 1920-06-19
NEWMAN CORSET
 CUTTERS STRIKE
 FOR RECOGNITION
Company Violates Collective Bar gaining Rule and Men
 Are Forced Out.

When R. E. Dodge, superintendent
 of I. Newman & Sons corset works on
 Oak street, absolutely discarded the
 government labor boards provision for. collective bargaining and dealing with
 the employees through their own com
 mittees, the cutters employed III the big
 plant refused to return to work on
 Monday last and strike is now on in that factory that threatens to close the
 plant and perhaps extend to other fac-
 tories engaged in similar lines. All but
 two of the cutters stayed away from
 work following the action of Mir. Dodge
 and these two finally joined their fel-
 lows during the middle of the week
 and the plant Is now without skilled
 help in that department. As soon as
 the material already cut IS finished the
 shop must close for want of product.
 Several weeks ago the cutters,
 through their regularly elected and
 heretofore recognized shop committee,
 requested a conference with the er1a-
 ployers as to amendment of wage and
 working conditions Answer was de-
 Iayed until last week and then Mir.
 Dodge thew over all recommendatio
 of the government toward collective and
 shop committee bargaining and refused
 to recognize the committee or treat with
 1t in any way. He informed the er1-
 ployes by bulletin that if they wanted anything they must seek 1t as indlvidu- ais or not at all.
 This attitude disp1eased the workers and they again sent their committee to
 Mr.s Dodge. Again he refusedN to meet them or discuss the matter in hand They reported back to the workers and Saturday last third attempt for con- l ference was made. Mr. Dodge again refused a meeting and after the com mittee had left went personally to the cutting department assembled the help and i'll a short and curt address in formed them that if they returned to work on Monday morning they must do so as individuals and not as of any
 recognized body, that the committees
 would not be recognized and that only as individuals were they to be employ ed in the future and not as members of an organized trade body.
 The throw down was more than a 1 surprise to the workers as in the past their committees had always been ac- corded recognition and there never had been any trouble over the collective ! bargaining system The changed atti- tude was at once put down as due to outside influence in the now general effort to disrupt organized labor bodies and substitute the individual contract ! system. Immediately after the close of
 work for the day therefore the ern- ployes of the cutting department, met and decided to stay away. from work Monday and until they are recognized l through their committee.
 The strike, or practical lockout as it ! Is, has therefore been on all week. At mass meetings to be held on Monday night at the Labor Lyceum on Howe street, under the auspices of Locals 3o and 40 of the. Corset Workers Union, support will undoubtedly be given the cutters and unless settlement Is af- fected, the trouble spread through that
 and other shops. The workers realize that the attitude of the firm is nothing more than an attempt to disrupt their organizations as, by the refusal of the I company to meet the committee there l was not even chance for a dispute over wage matters.