Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1923-05-28

Brockton, Mass. +: May 27-The
opening hour at the Brockton Shoe
Factories tomorrow will reveal the
strength or weakness of the strike
that last week involved moro than
5000 workers, manufacturers and
strike leaders agreed today. Off.
Gals of the Brockton Shoe Manu-
facturers' Association said that the
majority of the strikers would report
for work tomorrow. Leaders of the
striking organizations said their
people would be found standing firm.
Estimates made public today of the
loss caused by the struggle Of Sc
cedinG local unions to break the
strength Of the Boot and Shoe Work
erS' Union placed the total in the
hundreds of thousands of dollars.
According to officials of banks hand
ling the payrolls in the shoe indus
try, the strikers and those thrown
out of employment by the strike
have lost almost 100000 in wages
since he controversy began May IA.
The aggregate payroll of the Brock
ton shoe factories is placed at about
100000 a week. Curtailment in
shoe production in the same period
was estimated at about ten thousand
cases.
The first strike vote was taken
May Ii by the dressers and packers
local. ana its purpose was declared
to be to enforce demands for a u
per cent wage increase and abroga-
ton OF an agreement between the
Boot and Shoe Workeds' Union and
the manufacturers whereby wage
and other disputes are referred to
the tSate Board of Cancellation and
Arbitration. AS the movement spread
to other locals 1t became evident
that the underlying purpose was to
break the power of the Boot and
Shoe Workers Union as the central
body governing labor activities in
the industry. The large factories.
members of the Shoe Manufa cturcrs'
Association. have contracts with the
Boot and Shoe Workers Union under
which they may employ none but
members in good standing of the
Boot and Shoe Workers Union
The treers and edgemakers voted
TO strike on May II, but in each case
TIE membership was divided, and
of both crafts remained at work.
The central union revoked the char
ter of the dre5SerS and packers and
the trcers
Meetings were held by the various
ether locals and strike votes were
taken finally by II of the 13 crafts. The
lastcrS voted as a union to strike.
Groups of stitchcrs. cutters. skivers.
1inishers. vampers. hcclcrs and mixed
union followed suit. In most instances
the vote was for secession from the
Boot 6; Shoe Workers Union. but the
terms of the union contract with the
factories made this tantamount to a
strike.
Tho manufacturers remained aloof
from the struggle. while the growth of
the strike movement removed the per-
sonnet from the plants and caused
many to shut down. The Brockton
Shoe Manufacturers Association an
Eounced that it would adhere strictly
to its agreement with the Boot &; Shoe
Workers Union, employing none but
members in good standing of that body.
The scccssionists who formed the
Brockton District Shoe Workers Or
ganization as rival body to the Boot
& Shoe Workers Union had thousand
Of followers but no funds, while the
Boot e Shoe Workers Union had $780,
600 in the treasury but only the shell
of its organization intact. Only two
influential union leaders Joined the Sc
cesson ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS Agents
Donnie T. Mccarthy of the dressers
and packers and Joseph T.. Lacouture
of the lasters. The latter lecame pres
idcnt of the new central body.
Tho strike reached its highest point
last Thursday when 1900 workers pa
raded and 5000 attended an outdoor
mass meeting. After that, mill own
ers claimed. the movemen wat toward
the factories instead of away from
them. Two companies-the Diamond
Shoe Co and the NJ. A. Packard CO.
posted notices at their plants calling
on all employees to return to work to-
morrow morning when the factories
would begin full tine production.
Efforts by the secessionsts two call
out workers in all shoe centers In the
Old Colony district led 20 number
Joining their ranks in Bridgewatcr.
Whitman and HolbrooiI the first three
days of last week. After Wednesday
there were no further accessions.