Arizona republican., 1921-05-03
J0B PRINT TIERS OF. FrlooEEuiX STRIKE IN DEMAND FOR A. HOUR WEEK
SiXty-three Men Refuse To Go To Work Yesterday
 In Response To Union
 Order; Efforts To Settle The Strike Are Fruitless

The Strike Are Fruitless
 Responding to a call of their na- tional union. 63 printers, pressmen and bookbinders. employees of local commercial printing shops, yesterday refused to go to work and joined the nation wide strike called b-' the typo graphical union in an eff ,t to en- force their demand for 44hour week
 Negotiations between representa- tives of local commercial printers and employees yesterday in an effort to settle their differences and end the strike resulted in a deadlock.
 The strike in Phoenix was conduct ed in an orderly manner, employers said
 Six of the larger print shops of the city were affected by the strike. The Manufacturing Stationers, Inc, lost 45 men through the strike order while The Republican Print shop lost 12: A. c. Taylor Printing company lost ten; the Crozier Printing com pany lost four and the Hayes and Morgan Printing companies lost one each. The strike affects only com printing establishments and does not apply to newspapers em- ploying union printers, where an agreement entered into some time ago between the International union and the American Newspaper Pub fishers associations still holds.
 The Watkins Printing company is the only commercial plant of any size in Phoenix which has signed the new contract demanded by the interna- tional union. It was stated last night that although Mir. Watkins has signed the new contract, no wage scale has yet been agreed to- There are several so-called one-man shops, owned and operated by union men. which have signed. the agreement, it is said
 Didn't Want to Strike
 Officers of the local union did not enter into negotiations with employ- CTS on the matter of a new wage scale. They merely acted on orders from international headquarters, which directed a walkout unless em- ployers agreed to the demands, ternational union. Local employers agreed yesterday that had the matter been in the hands of the local print ing shop employees no strike would have occurred.
 The original demand of the printers was for 44-hour week with 4S hours pay. This demand has since been modified to a 44-hour week with A hours pay. Local union officers sought to negotiate with employers on that basis yesterday, their action resulting in the deadlock heretofore mentioned.
 Employers hold that they cannot possibly negotiate on such a basis The readiustment period has so af- fected their business that maximum production Is necessary, they claim.
 It would be an economical mis- take to reduce working hours in the printing industry now when there is a world wide movement for msxi- mum production in all other indus tries" one local employer said ''It likewise would be an economical mis- take to grant increased wages" he continued
 Any move that would tend to re- duce working hours would be reflect ed in the price of commercial print ing, employers said. Rent. invest ment and overhead costs play an i'm portant part in their business, they declared. These costs now are based on 4S-hour week. The cost would be the same under a 44hour weel contract, they pointed out. with { result that inflated prices would b' necessary. The consumer would sui fer and conditions are such that tn. public will not stand for imitation they said.
 No Lockout
 Employing printers of PhoeniJ have hung the "open door" signs or , their establishments. Their plants they said yesterday, are open to th' printers when ever they want to re turn to work. There is no movemen here to lockout the striking member of the union. it was emphatically de claT'ed last night, the men being wei i comed back to their old position ! whenever they are ready to reSum work on the 4S-hour a week basis. | Discontinuance of work was al l brought on by employees themselves l employers said yesterday. The work | CTS were not willing to continue un | der existing conditions and so re l sponded to the national strike cal l sounded many months ago. In fact | it was said that individually, nearl | every union commercial printer i | Phoenix who responded to the strtis call was opposed to a walkout at thi
 time but were obliged to follow th
 dictates of their international off cers or forfeit their union member ship.
 H. D. Ross. publisher of the Mes Tribune attended the conference her resterdav morning and announce