Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1923-03-16
Mill Owners Flatly Re-
: fuse Increase Asked
by Unions - 5000
Workers in Ill Mills
Would Be Affected
Strike Would Bring:
to Head Fight Be-
tween Rival Unions
Would Be Test for
Rest of New England

Fall River. Mass. March .15-with
the mill owners persistins in their
declaration that demands for wage
increases to the $4,000 employees OF
the III cotton mills Of the city can
not be met at this time, the textile
council met tonight to formulate u
communication to the Manufacturers
Association. This communication
will be a demand for q wage advance
backed by all the unions constituent
to the councils, it was indicated. II
will serve also to establish the lines
for a night within a fight for control
OF strike for which both the textile
council leaders and those Of the
United Textile Workers OF America
are preparing.
The latter. organization some time
ago set its demands on the cotton
mills at 90 per cent increase. This
amount, II was explained was nee
essary to restore wages to the scale
before a cut OF % IL per cent was
made in January 1921.
The textile council has long acted
as general organization representa-
tive OF the cotton mill operatives
here and has dealt with the manu-
facturers as such. The United Tex
tile Workers of America, under the
lead Of President Thomas r. Nc
) Mahon In recent months has increas-
ed it's membership and now chaI-
ienges the textile council for COM
troll.
| 1F;stimates Of the relative strength
Y ~ ~ fts-<x 3
| is agreed. however, by all interests
\ that the textile council outnumbers
the United membership. The latter
has Its strength principally among
the d0nesr. spinners and third hands.
with the stationary firemen and and
mill engineers joining with them on
the issue Of q 20 per cent demand.
The. textile councils strength 10
spread out among six craft unions.
With both these organizations il
the field on the issue of a wage
advance or strike. and with tho
| manufacturers announcing that they
would shut up their bills before they
raised pay on the present narrow
margins OF profit, municipal au-
thorities were agreed that a strike
was imminent. Mayor Talbot. con-
| forming with the law, notified thA
State Board Of Cancellation and Ar
bttratiOn that a strike was seriously
threatened and called upon the board
To use its good Offices to effect 4
settlement by mediation.
Agent Fred NJ. Knight Of the board
came heree to try and settle the
situation, but without success. At
his request. President McMaIlon
agreed to defer strike action for a
time. and agreed also to submit tho
United Textile Workers demands to
| arbitration. The textile councils
demands. being unforTnulated, could
not be considered. The Manufac-
| turers' Association answered the de-
| mand OF the United Textile Workers
with an open letter saying it rec
E; o2nfzed the textile council as rep
| resentative Of the operatives in the
system Of collective bargaining. but
| 1t was added that the demand would
not be met.
The Manufacturer Association il
this letter dated January 8 took no.
tice OF the report that the STRIKE
| would be test on which would u
based demands for wage advances
elsewhere in New England. II said:
TT is reported that Fall River ID
to be used az a test case. with th4
support OF certain labor unions IN
other cities. The result win ~H3yo
no effect On its principal competitors
| in the south except TO give Them
greater, advantages. Nevertheless,
| but regretting to be at odds with
| any Of their employees. the manu-
facturers wish 1t 20 be positively
known that they must close their
mills IL compeIIed to do SO by the
refusal OF the operatives to work.
rather than make any incr~askS In
, wages at the present time