The Medina sentinel. [volume] (Medina, Ohio) 1888-1961, 1920-02-06
wage DISPUTE AT
FOUNDRY CAN SCARCE
Be CALLED AsTRlKE
Two Wage Schedules and Men
Finally Given About All They
Ask-Must Have New Houses
in Near Future.
MEN WALK OUT MONDAY,
GO BACK WE'D. THURS.

An old proverb says that troubles
never come singly, but in lunches.
Within the past two weeks there have
been changes at the Medina Foundry,
brought about by the difference Of op-
| |inion among those who had invest
ments and authority at the foundry.
So considerable were these differ
ences that Mr.. Miller, who has been
the manager of the plant, sold his in
terest and retired from the company.
Last Tuesday night, the men work
ing in the plant knowing of the diff
ferences, and of Mr.. Miller's retire
ment, decided to hold meeting and
discuss the proposition Of wages. A
meeting was held and the men voted
unanimously to ask for more money,
and after some discussion made list
of the several advances asked in the
different departments. The next
morning this list of advances was ten
dered to the office force, but declin-
alton was made and a request that
the men wait until meeting could be
held of the official board Of the foun-
dry company.
Mr.. Miller, hearing Of the differ
ences over the question Of wages, and
not wishing to see dispute at this
time while settlement Of his affairs
with the company was in allegiance,
made personal appeal to the men to
await the settlement between him and
the company, indicating that such a
settlement might clarity the aS.nos-
phere as to the more money" ques-
ton. h
The men, however, averred that
they had gone too far to recede or to
procrastinate, and when the force met
at the foundry Monday morning they
at once asked for showdown on the
wage proposition. The foundry Of
ficers made answer that they had a
new wage scale to offer, which was
given the men. The latter say that
when the meeting was held Tuesday
the foundry officers had promised
them, in case they would wait until
this week SO that the official board
might act on the request, that they
would be given a liberal advance, and
one that was certain to satisfy them.
Monday morning, the men say,
they were offered raises ranging from
3 to 10 per cent, the latter being the
highest increase. When these disap-
pointing figures were shIwn them the
men at once presented the schedule
they had prepared at the Tuesday
meeting. These figures were not ac-
cepted by the found1- managers, pro-
test certain foundEy Morkmen; the
management even declaring that they
did not want to know the nature of
the demands. When the men saw
there was little prospect that they
would be given a hearing, they return
ed to the foundry and notified the
whole force Of the inability of the
committee to come to terms with the
management and advised walkout.
At the call Of the leaders nearly every
man in the plant did walk out and
knots of foundry employees were to be
seen on the street the rest Of the day.
The men say the advance offered
by the foundry officials is ridiculous
and that they cannot be considered
for minute. They say, further,
that the men here are receiving less
money than at any foundry in the
United States. While the force here
has never been organized the leaders
say that unless the strike is settled
at once organizers from outside the
town will be called in and all the men
in the foundry organized and affiliat-
ed with groups of similar workers
elsewhere. :
OF course there are always two
sides to a question, and it is seldom
that two bodies can see things lust
as they are. The employers tell a
different story in the present contro.
versy.
The claim is made that the wage
increase offered the men by the foun.
dry officials ran from 10 to Is pe,
cent, and in the cose of some Of the
more skilled workmen it ran as high
as 20 pNr cent. The officials sa,
that the EN- did not wait to know
just what Vthe offer was; that they
refused to give the offer proper con.
sideration and that when the officials
could not accede to their demand.
they--the men quite generally-walk
ed out.
The Sentinel representative was
given assurance that the wage in
crease offer ran from 10 to 20 pei
cent and that not one was offered les.
than 10 per cent raise. He was
given the information, too, that Tues
day morning the men came back, uuit,
generally, and returned to work a
the wage increase offered just priol
to the walk out.
At first it was thought the strike
was a protest against the new man
agement. Now it is understood tha
this was not the case, it is said, bu
the outcome of growing disconten
should have been ironed out som,
weeks ago and before it came to ,
head in united protest. The man
agement is satisfied that all differ
ences can be settled without furtkc.
friction and is going about to nc