Evening star., 1921-06-26
PAPER PRODUCERS
CONDEMN UNIONS
International Company Sees
Disadvantage in Mutual
Bargaining.
BY the Associated Press.

| ny LIE
NEW YORK, June 25.-The Inter-
national Paper Company, in a state
ment today giving it's version of the
strike which has affected all it's mills
since May l. asserted that the prac-
tical value and fairness of mutual
bargaining through trade agreements
in this industry are. to some extent,
on trial. and arguments in their
favor are not strengthened by the eX-
perience of this strike.
| The company explained that, to
avoid a strike. it had addressed three
communications to it's employees. The
first two explained conditions con-
fronting the industry and emphasized
need for readjustment. The third, is
sued May "a, was said to have contained
a concrete proposition for resumption
of operations, with a small wage re-
duction that would bring the scale
down to that in effect in many of the
larger mills of the country.
Desire to Prevent Strikes.
THE necessity of arranging for mu-
tual bargaining between the COM
pany and its employees was urged, for
the sake of preventing strikes in the
future by reconciling differences by
mutual agreement before, instead of
after the stopping of the machines"
tcontinued the statement. There was
no disguise of the company's ex-
IpreSsed desire to bargain with rs
tcompany's willingness for its en-
ployes to be members Of trade unions
was plainly stated"
| The company asserted that at a
conference here this month employees
had protested against any reduction
in the wage Scale-which, the COM
pany said, was two and half tunes
as great as in 19l5--but had made
no counter proposal.
| ''The officers of the trades unions:
pn1e1 nrODOSed
that the company should consent to
the arbitration wage scale alone and
start the mills under the old scale.
| added the statement. "lnasmuch as
the plan involved three arbiters on
each side and an umpire. and as
the arbitrated scale was not to go
into effect until the week following
the delivery of the arhitrament. the
company was obliged to reject it.
.Put Premium on Delay"
For those who think that any
arbitration proposal must needs in
fairness be accepted, it must be
pointed out that this proposal COW
| cred the wage scale alone and that
| the conditions of the arbitration pro-
posed put premium on delay in in
vestigating and in reaching a de-
cision, so that months might elapse
before a new scale might afford any
relief to the business of the COM
pany.
"if the company agreed to the sug-
gested arbitration it would mean
they would establish principle that
without any previous discussion OF
the merits of the questions in dis
pute between the company and It's
employees. the employees could can
strike, shutting down the plants OF
1.-The company, and then demand ar.
bitration which. in actual practice
abolishes mutual bargaining between
employer and employee.
After expressing belief that the
value Of mutual bargaining was or
trial, the nanr statemenf nfte- saia: tcn wears Of
ltrade agreement regulations with It's
employees, has not even been given ar
opportunity to attempt mutual par.
gaining with its employees. except al a.
, has been shown-the only proposal sc
far developed being ong-drawn'
out arbitration. with all other i'm
iportant questions, except wages
!eliminated"
Union Statement.
ALBANY. N. Y. June 25.-"It is no'
> the desire OF the International Broth
Ierhood of Papermakers. or theil
president. to raise any questions ina
might add to the unenviable position
of that company at this time, SaSe
Jeremiah T. Carey, president of the
brotherhood, when shown the state
3ment of the International Paper Com
pdny, OlneT ltldH 10 Sdy lIidI TIC ~
iternational Paper Company was in
vited by the unions to participate II
conferences before the expiration o!
wage agreements on May l.
The company in reply notified the
Representatives of the unions thai
they would deal Individually as {
company with the organizations. Al
q later date, however. the union rep
lrcSentativeS were notified that the
| international company had become
rt1y IN MA n renreSpnfinc
| a large number of manufacturers
with the object of bringing abou
mutual understanding and agreement
No settlement was reached. and mills
the agreement.
Withdrawal From Group Plan.
"At the time Of cessation of work
the trades union representatives un-
iderstood the International Paper Com.
ipany to be a party to the group plar
of dealing with the employees through
the unions, and, after cessation OF
work in the several mills. the unior
representative were advised that the
International company had with.
drawn from the group plan. Negotia.
tions were continued with the manu-.
facturers, however, and it was finally
lagreed that all questions as to hours
of labor and overtime rates for al
Iovertime work, including Sundays anG
holidays. should be Withdrawn by the
jSrOup Oh manufacturers. Inc inter
national Paper Company was not q
iparty to this suggestion.
This subject matter is being voted
upon today and tomorrow by the
unions, and. if approved, the inter.
national officers and delegates from
the various locals will meet at the
papermakers' headquarters, Albany
lnext Tuesday, for the purpose of Sc.
!lecting their representatives on q
board of arbitration. If arbitration
l..
manufacturers in Albany on Wednes.
day, to select an umpire and formu
late plans under which the investiga.
| ton will be conducted.
THE International Paper Company
Invited their employees to send repre-
lsentatives to a conference in New