The labor journal. [volume] (Everett, Wash.) 1909-1976, 1922-07-14
TIMBERWORKERS
BULLETIN

receipt of an official statement in
regard to the strike situation in the
klamath Falls-Weed section. The
statement is now available and you
will find inclosed a copy of a reso-
luton dealing with the matter,
passed by the Central Labor Union
of Klamath Falls, Oregon. We are
in hearty agreement with the express
sions contained in this resolution.
Contrary to reports published in
several daily newspapers in which 1t
was stated that the strike had been
called off, we wish it to be known
that such is not the case and that
it will not be called off until the 3
hour day is restored in the strike
area. We further wish to make it
known that we will order and sup
port strikes in any other part of the
country where the hour day may
be attacked and where the men in
volved will make a protest. In spite
of the wholly unwarranted and I'M
called for action of the Labor Com
missioner of the State of Oregon, the
Klamath strike will be kept in full
force and effect. The employers in
that section have succeeded in re-
cruiting a few strike breakers, they
would be better off if they did not
have any of them, they are wholly
incompetent and the employers are
daily losing thousands of dollars in
wasted timber and time loss. 1t is
only the silly pride of the employers
that prevents the admission of their
defeat, and even that will melt in the
face of long continued losses.
Wages in the strike area have
been raised from so per cent to 100
per cent, they are now paying the
incompetents more for the extra
hour than they paid competent work
men for the entire 8 hour day be-
fore the strike. For some lines of
work in the logging camps, wages
have been raised from $500 per day
to $1,000 per day and board, some
are being paid more than the high
est war time wage. Even with this
large increase in wages they are
still over three thousand men short
of full crews, and the time has
passed this year when it will be pos
sible for them to recruit the crews
up to their needs, even the hour
employers are advertising in practi-
cally all of the newspapers for men.
The foregoing will tend to show the
good business judgment" of some
of our self1styled captains of in
dustry with which the timber indus
try has very doubtfully been blessed.
General Conditions
The price of lumber and lumber
products is high. and there Is every
reason to believe that the price will
not only be maintained but that 1t
will go still higher, it is true that
there are some fluctuations but the
general tendency is upward. Wage
increases have been few and far be-
tween, the employers realize that the
workers are practically unorganlzed
and that they are the ones who are
in a position to dictate wages and
working conditions. In some places
in the Northwest they have gone
back to the 9 and 10 hour day. this
condition can also be charged to the
lack of organization on the part of
the workers. 1t is now reported that
most of the Northwest logging
camps will be closed during the
months of July and August, presum-
ably to escape fire hazards. Notice
has already been served by the boss
loggers on the mill owners that IN
spite of the increasing supply OF
logs in the water that there will not
be any decrease in log prices to the
mills, seventyfive per cent of which
depend on the open market for their
supply of raw material.
There is no longer much doubt
even in the mind of the most casual
observer, but that the employers en-
couraged by the success Of a few
of their number to return to the
longer work day, will try to make
the long hour movement general, IL
is true that many of them deny this,
that many of them religiously de-
clare that they are Satisfied" with
the s hour day, even the employers
in the Kalamath Falls section are
brazen enough to say that they are
in flavor" of the 8 hour day, but
they are moving heaven and earth
to get back to 10 hours, they have
the old plea that they cannot sue
cessfully operate in competition with
the long hour plants of other sec
lions of the country. All will agree
that a sixty day close down of the
logging camps now. and CORE
spending close down of the mills
later. which will be forced through
a log shortage, will place the en-
ployers in an excellent position to
force the issue on the matter OF
hours and wages. If the employers
are now Satisfied" with the 8 hour
day, it is the first time since 1T was
established that such has been the
case. They have always bitterly re-
scented the idea of operating 8 hours
in the Northwest while in other sec
lions of the country the employers
have continued to get by with long
err hours. They shortened wages
times without number. the workers
did not organize. they did not pro-
test. the same employers will also
lengthen hours with as little COM
junction as they shortened wages
unless the workers organize and
make some show of resistance.
Organization
Two local unions have recently
been organized and if reports now
coming in to this office are substan-
tiated considerable increase IN MEM
bership will be reported within the
next 60 days. Organization IN TINS
industry as we'll as in others VIII
progress only as fast as the workers
themselves will act in the matter,
we are willing and anxious at all
times to come to the assistance of
any group of workers who show
that they are ready to make an eff
fort in their own behalf.
Change of Address
After receipt of this bulletin ad-
dress all communications to 208 May
nard Building. Seattle, Wash, in
stead of 207 as formerly. this is
necessary because of changes made
in the arrangement of our office
space at headquarters.
Trusting that you will make every
effort to organize the workers In