The Birmingham age-herald., 1921-05-06
PRINTERS CLAIM HEALTHFACTOR IN
 MAKING DEMAND
Union Leaders Charge Open Shop Advocates With Re- SponsibiIity for Strike.
 Make Statement

Declaring the primary purposes of the allied printing trades in asking for a reduction in hours of work per week is to conserve as much as pos sible the health of their members, an official statement was issued yester- day by the general strike committee. of which J. O. Carder is chairman.
 They assert that persons employed in printing establishments are peculiarly susceptible to pulmonary diseases. Gov ernment statistics and records of health in the homes as kept by two of the allied trades are cited to substantiate the statement.
 Advocates of the open shop are de- clared responsible for the strike. There are no differences between the master printers and the strikers, the statement declares.
 The situation was characterized as more than satisfactory" by represent atives of the union yesterday afternoon.
 Master printers are continuing to get out their orders at the plant of the Dis patch Printing company. It was said
 
 cleaned up all orders on hand and were running as close to normal as could be expected.
 STATEMENT OF UNION MEN
 The statement of the union men fol- lows.
 "The present demand for the 44-hour week in commercial printing offices is the culmination of an agreement reached about two years ago between the Allied Printing trades and the closed shop branch of the United Typothetae and the Printers League of America, to take effect May l. 1921
 All employers running closed shops or employing union help exclusively-are morally bound by this agreement, which was ratified by an overwhelming major ity on a referendum vote of both em- ployers and employees.
 'rhe primary purpose of the allied printing crafts in asking for a reduction in hours Is to conserve as much as possible the health of their members. Persons employed in printing establish ments are peculiarly susceptible to9pui- monary diseases, as government statis- tics and records of health in the homes | maintained by two of the allied crafts will show.
 | There is no other issue save that of the 44-hour week and the fact cannot be | too strongly stressed that practically all 1 of the commercial offices of this city l have for more than a year, and of their | own accord, been working on a 44-hour basis. Therefore the argument that the shorter work week tends to higher costs and ineffcency is spurious, misleading and must inevitably assume the nature l of a boomerang.
 "We are not asking 4S hours pay for | A hours work because our scale of wages Is based on the hours actually ! worked.
 We have adopted a uniform scale for each craft of 80 cents per hour, $35.20 for A hours, time and a half for overtime probably the lowest for any skilled craft l in the entire Birmingham district. | "In @ business as physically and men, tally exaoting as that of printing, where | every moment of time must be accounted | for with exactitude. the Saturday half holiday enabling the men and women workers to enjoy period of wholesome rest and recreation has proven of great l benefit and has resulted in more and better work upon their part | Stripped of all superfluous verbiage and getting down to the cold, naked facts, there is no difference between the master printers of Birmingham and the allied printing crafts. Their relations have always been and are yet of the most cordial nature. This fight is being directed by outside parties, enemies of all organized labor-the open shop advo- cates, who are demanding that the em- ploying printers of the United States and Canada repudiate their agreement with l the allied crafts and insist on the 4S- | hour week.
 "The outlook is perfectly satisfactory to us, both locally and internationally and we are quite sure agreements will ultimately be reached which will be sat isfactory to all parties concerned. | "P. o. KENNEL, | FIRED W. WORRELL, | 'J. O. CARDER,