The New York herald., 1921-09-10
TO TEST SHOE UNION
RULEIN LYNN COURT
Manufacturers Say Workers
Retard Output and Scrap
Peace Agreement.
21 BILLS OF COMPLAINT
Certain Stitchers Only Allowed
to Do Work i'm Numer-
Gus Factories.
21 BILLS OF COMPLAINT

Special Despatch to THE New YORK HERALD.
LYNN, Mass, Sept. 9.-Whether the
recent action OF Lynn shoe stitchers in
arbitrarily compelling manufacturers to
employ only such union stitchers as are
able to show union indorsed permits to
work. is in reality carefully planned
conspiracy to give to local unions ex-
elusive control of the hiring and re-
tention of help and limiting each fac
tory's output, as well as being fragrant
violation of Lynn's famous peace agree
ment," will be determined by the Su-
preme Court as a result of bills in
equity filed in Salem to-day by members
Of the Lynn Shoe Manufacturers AS
ISOLATION.
These equity suits have been instituted
by twenty-one concerns affiliated with
the local manufacturers association of
4 total Of seventy-five Lynn shoe manu-
facturers. They seek both temporary
and permanent injunctions, carrying
both damages and costs. against thou
sands Of officers and factory operatives
belonging to Women's Stitchers Local.
Council, No /. which is the United Shoe
Workers delegate body in this city, and
all officers and members OF the United
Shoe Workers.
Each of the twenty-one bills of COM
plant Is separate. but all are Identical
in alleging that the unions "have COM
bined and conspired to take control of
the hiring and retention OF help In the
stitching partmentS OF the plaintiffs
factories from the plaintiffs" and ito
place the same in the hands of said
union, and particularly of the said bust
ness agent, and TO decide and restrict
the number of help that the plaintiffs
might hire or employ in such depart
ments, and to dictate and control the
personnel of the plaintiffs stitching de-
partments by deciding what members
OF said local the plaintiffs might hire
and what plaintiffs might not, and to
prevent operatives from entering or con-
tinuing in the plaintiffs employ, and to
determine the amount of work the plain
tiffs might be allowed to do in said de-
partment and restrict and interfere
with the production thereof and to re-
tard. hinder, impede and coerce the
plaintiffs in the hiring. employment and
discipline of help and in the carrying on
Of the work and in the production OF
SAID department., ana uD cause eiiipioytes
to cease work or to strike"
Efforts will be made to prevent the
stitchers from continuing the proposed
system Of permitting to work in peace
agreement factory only such union
stitchers as can show permit to the
shop collector signed by Eugene A. May
nard. the stitchers' business agent. Pre-
viously it was permissible for manu-
facturers to employ union stftchers
without any permit from their union, so
long as only union men were employed.
Such high handed methods, the manu-
facturers declare, are in violation of the
mo strike or concerted cessation of
work" clause of the peace agreement.
1t is set forth that the stitchers are
skilled help, the whole supply OF which
is controlled by the union. and that con-
ditions OF the industry are such that or
ders have to be turned out on time. Con-
tinuance of the new permit system"
would prevent firms from remaining in
business or be of great harm to them.