Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1921-06-28
AUGUSTA MILL
LOOM -FIxERS
Discounted
% Discharged Follow
ing Sympathy Stand
for Co-WOrker
Agent Dean Refuses to Deal
With Men-Issues Statement
in Answer to Explanation of
Discharged LOOm.Fixers

Twenty-eig men. employed as
loom fixers at the Edwards Manu-
occurring Company's plant, Augusta,
we're on Monday discharged from the
company's employ by Milton o. Dean,
agent of the mill The trouble which
preceded the discharging appears to
be two-fold. First, the inefficiency of
the loot fixers, from Mr.. Deans
standpoint, appears to date back be-
fore the war. The endeavors of the
company to bring up the labor to the
efficient mark needed to aid the mill
TO get onto paying basis. says Mr..
Dean, were not met with co-opera-
ton upon the part of the loom fixcrs
immediate reason, a man was en-
ployed fixing looms. He was what
was known as change over. The
man was away from the mill and
when he came back he was told that
his services were no longer needed.
The loom fiXers sent a committee to
Mr.. Dean saying they would strike
If the man was not taken back.
Loom Fixers' Statement
The Augusta Loom Fixers' organ
ization, with the committee of Thorn
as Marsden, Guy L. Sawyer and Ell
mer Pinkham, make the following
statement:
We, the undersigned, wish to state
to the public in regards to the
grievance at the Edwards Mfg. Co.
with the Loom Fixers' Local No. II
of Augusta, Me, figures from mills
in Maine and Massa chusetts show
the loom fiXers at Augusta, Me, are
running more looms, with less pay.
The management insisted we take
more looms regardless of the styles
OF cloth being woven in Edwards
mills and other places or accept OUT
discharge, which the loom fixerS de-
cided to accept the latter"
Mr. Deans Statement
Editors of the Kennebec Journal,
Dear Sirs: In answer to your re-
quest asking me for a statement in
regards to discharging some of our
loot fixers yesterday morning, l will
say that the loom fixers constitute
less than 4 per cent of our employees
but are the only operatives who are
unionized.
During the war it made very lit
tie difference how inefficiently an or
ganiZation like the Edwards company
vas run. We had plenty of business,
with out people.
Our men have fixed with few ex-
ceptions y and 81 looms, where in
other mills on the same class of work
they are required to look after 80 to
H.
The last years business has been
different, and instead of getting an
abundance of orders at a good profit
1t has been all we could do to keep
running. There have been efw or
ders at little or no profit. And to
keep an organization together and
our people employed it as been nee
eSsary to run our looms without or
ders piling the goods away in our
Storehouses.
great many looms have been
stopped for orders. Nearly every
fxer has had but fractional part
of section to look after, at the same
time drawing his full pay as if it
were all in operation. About four
weeks ago we had small order
which started up ten looms that had
been stopped for most year. and it
was either necessary to put a fiXer
on to look after these few looms
which would constitute only one
tenth of section. or have the fixer
who had the next adjacent section
look after them. AS this next tixer
Continued on Page 3-col. 81