Twin city review. [volume] (Champaign, Ill.) 19??-1929, 1921-03-25
GENERAL LABOR NEWS

At st. Johns, Mich. the plant of the
Hayes Wheel Co, resumed operations
with full force. The plant closed In
December. 1t makes truck wheels.
The number of unemployed in Swift
zerand has risen from 10000 TO 49,
600. Many watch factories and tex
tile Industries have closed.
Twenty seven hundred union factory
employees of the Hamilton-Brown Shoe
company, st. Louis, voted to work AZ
hours a week, beginning March l, In
stead of "a.
The mills of the Fort Wayne Cor
rugated and Hartford City Paper COM
panies, Hartford City, Ind, did not
close, as had been expected, and man.
ayers of the plants were of the opin-
ion that, although orders for several
weeks have been light, they may be
able TO continue operation indefinitely.
officials of the Youngstown (Ohio)
Building Trades Employers associa-
ton said that craftsmen would be re-
quested to accept 20 per cent wage
reduction In the new agreements that
are effective May next. The request
was submitted to more than five thou
sand workmen. Journeymen said they
would oppose the wage cut.
Wages of 1900 of the 1000 employ
ees of the Baltimore Dry Docks and
shipbuilding company have reduced ap-
proximately 10 per cent. j. nj. Wills,
vice president and general manager,
said the cut was mot only to put us
on the same basis as other Industries
of the country, but to enable the COM
pany to meet competition"
At n meeting of the Chattanooga
(Tenn.) carpenters union 1t was voted
to reduce wages from 81 an hour TO
so cents an hour The carpenters are
the first of the building trades to take
action, but other branches are ex-
pected to follow suit at once. Build
| ing activities have been practically at
| standstill for several months.
There is a growing possibility that
union carpenters of Connecticut will
organize cooperative building concerns
to compete with the builders. following
the present controversy over wages.
| The builders have organized a state
society to fight for open shop and to
bring down wages to their pre-war
| level.
| Van Bitten, chief representative of
the United Mine Workers of America,
formally called of the miners strike
in the Birmingham (Ala.) district. The
order was released through Victor III.
Hanson. Mr.. Hanson Immediately re-
leased an order from Governor Kilby
ordering the state troops to be with
drawn. Both sides agreed to leave
the settlement up to the governor.
The seamen and licensed officers are
asking the United States Shipping
board to net as arbitrator in the dis
pute over wages and working condi'
lions between the American Steam.
ship Owners association and Inter
national Seamens union, the Marine
Engineers Beneficial association, and
the Masters, Mates and Pilots, associa-
ton. The owners insist upon % per
cent wage cut and elimination of over
time pay, although their agreement
with the men runs until May 1.
Announcement is made by the
Wheeling Steel corporation. which con-
trolls all of the independent iron and
steel mills in the vicinity of Wheeling
W. Va, that a general reduction In
wages will be effective at once. Wages
of common laborers are cut from 46
to 40 cents an hour and wages of all
other employees reduced i'm proportion,
excepting those working ON the ton
mage basis or sliding scale which is
not changed due TO contracts between
the unions and the men. Approximate
ly 1000 men are affected.
Employees of the reed chair de
partment of the Haywood Wake field
company, Gardner, Mass. were mott
fed of a cut of - per cent in wages
effective March /. The reed workers
are working on short time. The re
duction will affect 200 men.
About 100000 cotton operatives In
Great Britain are hard hit by the re
cent decision to work only "a hours
each week. Work is now confined Il
eight hours day on Wednesday
Thursday and Friday. and the mill,
cease to run on Monday, Tuesday ant
Saturday.