Evening star., 1921-05-04
PRINTERS PAY CUT
%.35 PER WEEK
Arbitration Board Ruling A.
fects Four Major Crafts
in Chicago.
Ry the Associated Press


CHICAGO. May A wage reduc-
tion of s435 week for each of the
four major printing crafts in Chicago
was announced today by an arbitra-
tion board, four members of which
were chosen by the employers. four
by the unions and a ninth selected
as an arbiter by the others.
Under the decision compositors
were reduced to $46.65 a week, press
men to $47.65. feeders to 1886 and
bookbinders to s42.15.
This scale applies specifically to a
week of forty-eight hours. according
Of industrial relations for the Frank
lin lclosed shop) division of the
Franklin Typothetae of Chicago.
The arbiter on the arbitration board
was Ralph Emerson Helman, dean of
the School Of Commerce of Northwestern
University.
Reviews Wage Controversy.
The wage controversy. according to
Mr.. Cantrell. developed last Febru-
airy. when the semi-annual wage re-
vision was unacceptable to the
unions. In February and in August.
1920. the revision had been upward
he said. at the rate of IS weekly for
all crafts. This adjustment Of wages
he continued. had been gauged to re-
fleet the index numbers indicating
rise and fall in the cost Of living
issued by the bureau of statistics Of
the United States department of la
Dor. When the February. 1921. in
dex statistics showed a decrease, Mr
Cantrell said. the unions demanded
arbitration Of the proposed wage re-
duction.
The decision. although declared tech
nically to stand as separate issue. is
bound to affect in some degree the status
of the present controversy between print
ing trades unions and employers in the
matter OF hours of work. in the opinion
OF officials of the Employers Association
Claim $500 Men Are Out.
INDIANAPOLIS. May 4.-Optimism
demands for the forty -four-hour work
week in job and book printing offices
throughout the country was expressed
by International Typogra phical Union
officials here following the compilation
of reports from subordinate unions.
We have reports that $40 subordinate
unions are signed. all on the forty-four-
hour work week basis" said j. w Hays,
secretary-treasurer. Those signed in
clude one-half of our members who work
in the book and job printing branch of
the printing industry"
Strike reports received from 1875 local
unions show that $500 men are out, Mr.
Hays said.
Vote Strike In Baltimore.
BALTIMORE. Md. May 4.--The
pressmen Of this city and both the
mems and women's branches Of the
bookbinders at meetings last night
voted unanimously to go out on strike
today for the -four-hOur work.
ing week instead Of the forty-eight-
hour week. Officials Of the two unions
claimed after the meetings that about
500 members Of their organizations
would be out on strike with the 400
members Of the Typographical Union,
who walked out Monday.
Pressmen Accept Pay Cut.
NEW YORK. May A cut of II
per cent in wages Of cylinder and job
pressmen. press assistants and paper
handlers. employed by the book and
job printers trades here is an
nounced by a committee on arbitra-
tion approved by both employers
and employees. The cut was based
upon the decline in living costs.
Pressmen Return to Work.
GLENS FALLS. N. Y, May 4-The
first break in the strike of printers
and preSsmen in the plants of the
Post Star and the Glefs Falls Times
came last night when the newspaper
pressmen announced that they would
return to work under the same condi-
tions which prevailed when they went
on strike Sunday.
Strike Closes Newspaper.
SIOUX FALLS. s. D., May 4.-The
Mitchell (S. D. Morning Republican
announced it would suspend publica-
ton as result of a printers strike
Printers in other South Dakota cities
remain at work.