The labor journal. [volume] (Everett, Wash.) 1909-1976, 1921-06-03
MILL WORKERS
FORCED STRIKE

Three cuts in the pay of EN-
ployees of the Everett lumber mills
proved little bit more than they
can stand.
Last November the wages were
$3.50 The first cut of so cents
was made in December, followed by
a cut of 80 cents in aJnuary, leaving
the scale at $500 until Wednesday
June l, when the lumber lords
nipped off 60 cuts more and prom
ised to lopp off so cents more in
July.
The Robinson mill crew walked
out Wednesday morning, followed a
half hour later by the men in Par
ker Box factory, and the Clark
Nickerson (Clough) Mill at noon.
Roy r. Canterbury, president of
the international Union of Timber
workers, came to Everett at noon
and shortly after met about 1926
strikers at the Labor Temple,
where meeting was called for
2:30 o'clock.
The large hall on the first floor
was filled to overflowing when Bro.
Canterbury called the meeting to
order.
Bro. Canterbury explained its OBJ
iect briefly. He reminded his hear
ers that whatever had been gained
by labor was through organization
and whatever they may expect to
gain would be gained through col
lective action in labor union or
9aniZatiOn.
President VIM. Short of the State
Federation of Labor, having re-
ceived call from Bro. Canter-
bury, arrived and was introduced
He gave the strikers a brief his
tory of the development of the lum-
Der industry the basic industry of
the Northwest and showed them
how through lack of organization
they were being ground down by
the lumber lords.
He said that recently on his re-
turn to Seattle he saw sign in
'front.' an employment agency call
ing f. nen to work in logging
campsN p2.35 per day, with board
at $3.50 per week. They We're as
sembling men in Seattle for the
purpose of reducing the workers in
the industry to state of peonage
The strikers were told that if they
did not desire to be forced back to
the 'normalcy" the sawdust ring
was prating about they must stem
the tide collectively.
He narrated the story of the fail
ure of a joint conference of en-
ployers and employers held in Sc
attic last year with the object of
improving the Workers Compensa-
tion law so that injured workmen
would receive so per cent more for
injuries sustained. The mill own
ers delegates would not agree to
an increase of even one cent. The
lumber interests dominated the en-
ployers' delegates to the conference.
He said that forty-two states had
Worknen's compensation laws and
that some of them paid from 100
to 300 per cent more to injured
workmen than the state of Wash
ington.
Industrial organizations were the
kind that workers in the lumber
industry wanted and needed, and
that political action was necessary
to enable the workers to protect
their organizations. He closed with
an earnest appeal to the strikers
to ioin the Timberworkers Union
as the best means of securing and
holding their rights.
The meeting was adjourned to
meet again in the Labor Temple
at 1870 p. m.
The hall was again filled to over
flowing by men feeling the sting of
injustice at the hands of boss lum-
bermen.
Harry Call, secretary of the I. U.
7. arrived from Seattle and ad-
dressed the meeting.
At this meeting a local union of
the International Union of Tim
berworkers was organized with a
large number of charter members.
The chatter will be left open as
long as the local desires, with ev-
cry prospect of the building up of
a large union of Timberworkers in
this city.
Temporary officers were elected
and tonight Friday was made the
date of the first meeting of the
new union. The meeting will be
held in the Labor Temple and will
be called to order at 1880.