The Connecticut labor news., 1923-07-27
PACIFIC UNIONS SUPPORT PRINTERS
 RIGHT TO STRIKE
By International Labor News Service


 Bellmgham, Wash, July 27.-The right to strike is inherent and can not be curtailed, because the em- ployer has no property right in hu- man labor. This was the declaration of the Washington State Federation of La bor, in convention here, in pledging moral and financial support to the In ternational Typographical Union and its Seattle local in an effort to over turn the recent decision of the Su- preme Court of the state in the case of the Pacific Typesetting Company, in which the court held that unions are responsible for damages sustained in the course of a strike. The case, which IS of vital impor- tance because of the far-reaching re- suits the decision would have If allowed to stand, arose out of suit for $2o,ooo damages brought by the Pacific Typesetihg Company against the officers of the Seattle local and International Typographical Union and Philo Howard, as representative of the union. The company lost the suit when 1t was tried in the King county superior court. The suit was the result of the movement for the 44-hour week in the printing trade and grew out of the refusal of mem bers of No. POP employed at the Pacific plant to do work for non- union houses.
 The Pacific company carried the case to the Washington Supreme Court, which in June reversed the ruling of the lower court and held that when persons or firms suffered damages by reason of strikes they may sue the trade unions and officers taking part in the strike.
 Realizing that such decision dealt a serious blow to the trade unions of the state of Washington, the Wash ington State Federation of Labor at once took up the matter. The Fed eration will support the typographical union with all the forces at it's com mand and has recently issued the fol- lowing circular, outlining the case and stating the stand of organized labor:
 "The Pacific Typesetting Company had agreed to the terms of the typo graphical union, but proceeded with the work of preparing type and fur nishing the same to the non-union houses that were resisting the new agreement with the typographical union. The work being done by this concern was giving the greatest pos sible aid to the non-union printing houses, and because of this condition the typographical union withdrew the union men from the concern The company then sued the union for $2o,ooo.
 "The case came to trial in the su- perior court of King county and was literally thrown out of court The Pacific Typesetting Company then appealed to the supreme court, which body just recently handed down a decision remanding the case for trial in the superior court of King county again.
 "The decision of the supreme court is in the nature of directions to the lower court in connection with the trial, according to press reports, and the case will again come to trial in the superior court of King county If the lower court should decide in harmony with the literal reported in structions of the supreme court, such a decision will have serious adverse effect on the whole labor movement of the state of Washington The union will fight the de cision to the last ditch, and the whole support of the labor movement of must be rallied behind them.'