Great Falls tribune. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1921-current, 1922-01-21
AMERICAN PLAN
DENOUNCED AT
LABOR MEETING
State Federation Official Ad-
dresses Striking Cooks and
Walters; 1000 Attend. i.

Bitter announcement of the Ameri-
can plan as one full of Interior pur-
poses. directed toward crushing NOT
only organized labor but all labor: was
expressed by John T. Taylor, secre-
tary of the Montana Federation OF La
Dor. at a mass meeting called ~ the
local members of the Cooks < Walters
union in rhe Grand theater Friday
night.
The meeting developed out Of A con-
troversy between the Hotel ana Res-
taurant Mems association and the
Cooks & Walters union that resulted
in the walkout Of union employees az
midnight Sunday from shops that an
nounced their intention to affiliate
with the Associated Industries. More
than a thousand persons attended the
meeting.
Taylor said that it was disgusting to
associate the name Of America 10 ans
| way with the plan which the Assocl2t-
ed Industries has established Tor deal
ing with the labor situation.
Denies "Unseen" Forces
He mentioned the days when it was
| necessary for trade unions to employ
| SOAP box orators to obtain member
ships in their crafts.
Since the creation by the Associat-
ed Industries of the socailcd American
plan there is no need for soap box or
ators." he said. The working classes
realize that they are beginning fight
| for the freedom they are given by toe
constitution of the United states.
He denied that there are unseen
! forces in the ranks of labor unions, de-
| clared that they have definite stand
ards which were created for the pro-
| lection Of the American working
classes, and announced that the unions
make no effort to hide the principles
| for which they stand.
| for the Cooks 4 Walters union, local
No. 1O1, declared that the strikers
were willing to arbitrate with the EN-
ployers, that the union had done ev-
erything possible to prevent the strike
but were forced to walk out because
! the restaurant keepers refused to
meet their committee TO attempt ar
bitration of matters in dispute.
Offered to Arbitrate
The only offer that was ever made
| us by the restaurant keepers wls tor a
| rs per cent reduction III wages. he
| asserted. We held meeting and de-
cided that such reduction would
| mean working for less thau hflng
wage. We voted to accept 10 per
| cent reduction and were Wiling to
meet a committee from the restaurant
! keepers' association and arbit"ate tht
| issue with them. They refused tc
meet US and announced that they were
| going to operate gu an open shop basis
| We could not, and can never. arbltratt
with them on an open shop basis anl
maintain the principles for which We
! stand.
I'VE did not want to strike. We are
I willing tonight. tomorrow or SIX
months from now to arbitrate wage
scale with cur former employers. But
we will fight the Associated Industries
to the last ditch We cannot and will
not submit to the openshop.
Says Prices Not Lowered
Nelson raised the point that the
employers mentioned that they FUR
nished the board of their employees
which they estimated at 81 a day.
How, then, can waiter or a cook
port them on the salary offered!
Have you noticed that the price
Of ham and eggs has dropped any !
! They're still 10 cents, aren't they
| Where does the public come in on this
| issue! The restaurant keepers cut
wages so that we're forced to walk out
and then the Associated Industries
| launch an eat down town week to
help the restaurants fight the union.
And you folks who eat at restaurants
know that it's no bargain sale week.
either
James E. WHISKY, representative of
| the veterans welfare bureau in con-
nection with the training and placing
In positions of disabled exservice men,
spoke upon the difficulty at the pres
ent time Of placing ex-service men in
positions where they can become re-
| habitulated because Of the unsettled
conditions between employers and en-
ployes He said that the controversy
between the restaurant keepers in
| Great Falls and the employees could be
| adjusted if the restaurant owners
would meet the issue on their own mi
tiative rather than responding only to
| the wishes of the Associated Indus
tries
This situation can never be settled
under the American PLAN he said.