The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1921-01-17
TEXTILE WAGES
MAY CAUSE STRIKE
LATER IN SEASON
Massachusetts Workers Plan
ming for a Struggle
ARE BACKED BY A. F. OF L.
viii Accept Cut Now but at opportune
Time Plan to Fight for
Old Rate.
RE BACKED BY A. F. OF L.

OF unions In many textile centers o
Massachusetts and Rhode ISLAND
affiliated " tn the Amalgamated tex
tile workers were authorized at q
meeting here today to report tc
their organizations that the Anal
gamated was pledged TO render all
support possible both moral and
financial, to any local branch which
should declare strike as a protest
against the recently announced wage
reduct ons in New Eng and mills
A. J. Huste, secretary OF the Anal
gamated, said after the meeting that
II any mill at Lawrence attempted to
open under the reduced wage scale, a
strike would be declared against that
mill
"The Amalgamated textile workers,
he said, refuse TO take the position
adopted by the United text le work
ers and accept o reduction in wages.
We do not believe that with the
present cost CT living and the profits
piled up By the manufacturers any
reduction at the present time is justl-
fed. Furthermore, II reduction Is
any time necessary, We believe that
the workers should have a voice in
saying what the reduction should be, .
He said that at today's meeting 1t
was voted TO invite all Independent
text lie unions to attend a conference,
for the purpose OF fcrming an al
lance Of textile workers TO protect
their rlghts," and to begin Immediate
Ily an intensive organizing campa gn
among the workers Of every mill con-
troled by the American woolen COM
pany, aud this means TO try tc pre-
vail upon the workers to refuse TO ac-
cept the % i.2 per cent wage cut an.
nounced at the compaay's mills.
Lawrence. Jan. i6--Assurance that
when the time Is ripe, the Tn ted
textile workers Of America backed by
the American federaticngof labor, vii,
seek restoration cf the % 4 per cent
in wages stolen from US through the
insnipu'attn cf the employers vas
r ven employees OF mills In this city
by Vice. president Thomas r.. Nc
Mahon OF the United In a statement
issued after a meeting OF the local
branch Of the organization today lie
reminded the operatives that his or.
ganizac on on the lst had advised mIll
workers not to strike as the time was
"nC Ct-opnortune."
The United textile workers he
added, believe there never was bet
ter opportunity for the workers OF
Lawrence to see that the only hope
for their organization TO be q success
is the American federat on OF labor IL
they wish to resist future attempts at
cuts in wages they will seize that op-
pc rtunlty as II Is now presented b.
the textile council assoc ated with the
United textile workers
At the meeting plans we're laid for
efforts to strengthen the organization
among Lawrence operatives. The one
big union also met today and II was
announced that a "counc of action
had been uuanimc usly indorsed and
that whatever action the council might
take would be in accord With the re-
cent Essex county labor conference at
Odttu, unu Win tIt ''NNA' AHp' Ni''' -
for local councils OF all labor among
the shoe workers Of Hayerhill, Lynn
and other centers. A conference was
called for the 26th to which repre-
sentatives of all labor organ cations in
Lawrence will be invited.
The Amalgamated textile workers
of America met tonight TO hear re
ports of a conference Of representa-
tives OF their organization az Boston
today
A statement issued later from the
headquarters OF Lawrence local, Anal
gamated text lie workers, asked the
employees OF the American woolen mills
company to go to the mills tomorrow
morning and ask for their jobs. If the
request refused the men were tod
to report the fact to headquarters, but
no announcement was made as to pro
posed action in the event of refusal
A wage reduction Of % IL per cent
recently announced by the company
goes into effect tomorrow. Under nor
nal condition. the m lis employ $4,000
From 1900 to 1000 persons have been