The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1920-08-03
STRIKE IN TOPEKA
WaIkOuts in Five of Seven
Plants Employing Machinists.
"Open Shop" War Breaks Out
Anew in City.
ASKED ST AN HOUR MINIMUM
Contract Also Demanded Local
Union O. X. Men Hired.
Many Organized Workers Re-
fuse to Join Strike.
ASKED ST AN HOUR MINIMUM

|
( up again today.
! Five of the seven plants in the city
employing machinists reported men
, out on strike because of refusal of the
! employers to sign contracts presented
to them Monday afternoon. The man
ager of one other plant refused to
talk, but left the impression that he
was having open shop" troubles, and
one plant said no trouble had been
reported this m6rning.
In all cases the men struck follow
ing presentation by them of closed
shop contracts which their employers
refused to sign. The machinists' ulti-
matum to the employers was, Sign
the contract or we quit Some of
them quit last night.
In addition to the closed shop and
i collective bargaining, the contract pre-
sented by the machinists demanded a
minimum wage of 81 an hour COR ma
| ehinists and $1.05 an hour for tool
makers, according to W. H. Metzdorf,
secretary-treasurer of the Piersen
| Manufacturing company.
Another provision in the CONTRACT
| was that the employer must apply to
the local nachinists' union before hir-
ing any man, it was stated. The con-
| tract further demanded that the union
| control the helpers and apprentices
| the number hired and the rates paid
| them. The employer was to be
charged up with the helper or ap-
prentice for one year.
The general scale for machinists in
| Topeka now is IS cents an hour ac-
cording to Metzdorf, who was named
/ by the employers as their official
spokesman in the open shop contro
versy. The Piersen company, he said,
pays 80, 95 cents or 81 an hour, ac-
! cording to what the man is worth.
with a general bonus in addition.
plant more than the minimum asked
by the union, Metzdorf declared.
Concerns Under Strike.
This was the strike situation today:
Piersen Manufacturing company, EN- g.
| ploying about 11J machinists. Six
union men quit work Monday night.
Maehinists Electric company, los
| West Eighth street, six men out; eight
Tenning Machine shop. e2O Monroe
| street, entire force of two machinists
Scott Weighing Machine company, AIS
Jackson street, employing twenty ma
| chinists. Five or six men out.
| Western Foundry company, POI JEFF
| ferson street. entire force of three union
Topeka Foundry company. no trouble
sRon Edge Mattress Machine COM
pany, 304 Kansas avenue, manager re-
] fuses to talk. but indicates his plant
y is having same trouble as other shops.
Piersen to Stay Open Shop.
''The Piersen company has always
advocated the open shop policy and
lalways will,' Metzdorf declared. He
indicated owners of other plants and
shops were of the same mind.
The employers spokesman was es-
pecially bitter about that part in the
contract providing that the employer
must apply to the local union before
hiring any men.
THE union is trying to dictate not
only that we shall employ men with a
card, but men recommended by the
loca, itself" was his comment.
The Piersen company does not re-
gard the present trouble in the nature
of a strike in view of the fact that
only six union men quit. while 17O.
half of them carrying cards, remained
on the job. Jack Mercer, manager OF
the Machinists Electric company, with
six men out, said he didn't know what
If could be called if it wasn't a strike.
/ Started Last March,
The "open shop" trouble began
brewing last March, when the machin-
lists presented a new contract making
several requests, including one for a
closed shop. The employers stated
their policy, which was to the effect
that they were dead set against the
closed shop. The matter died out
Temporarily and the men indicated
; they were satisfied with the conditions
agreed to by the employers. About
sixty days ago the same trouble oc-
curre1 Closed shop demands again
were presented and again refused.
At that time a strike occurred at the
topeka Foundry. about a dozen ma
chinists quitting and several moulders
walking out in sympathy with them.
Refusal of the management of the
plant to agree to a closed shop caused
the walkout. Later all except couple
of agitators returned to work. accord
ing to Metzdorf.
that on the Trinity Methodist church
job, when union men employed by
Cuthbert & Son, contractors, refused
to work because the Van Dorp galvan-
ized Iron Works, which had eStab-
lished an open shop, was doing work
i. for Cuthbert under contract made
while Van Dorp still had a closed
shop. The men went back to work
later without any settlement of the
. trouble Metzdorf declared.
Bracket Company Signs.
The Bracket Stripping Machine
company is the only plant so far to
sign the closed Shop contract. 1t han
! dies a commodity that is SO highly
, specialized that it could afford to sign,
Metzdorp pointed out.
There are many mechanics IN the
east who are seeking work in the west.
according to Edwin H PierSen. presi-
dent of the Piersen company. His
company gets on an average OF thirty
five applications a day for jobs from
? skilled workers. They give the high
cost of living in the east as the rea-
son for their desire to come west The
: intricate work done by the Piersen
plant requires skilled workers. so that
! the company cannot pick up any kind
of mechanics around town. but is