The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1924-10-07
NOT SO GOOD
FOR WALTHAM
WATCH SCADS
5000 OrkerS Hold Out
in Big Struggle
BY ESTHER LOWELL

WALTHAM, Mass, Oct. O.
With women and girl strikers
waving yellow feathers, yellow
flowers, and yellow handker-
chiefs, the forIorn faithful few
still go into the WaItham watch
and clock factory every day,
and with the men strikers clap
ping and Kissing, the fight
against the wage cut and for
the collective agreement is be-
coming bitter in it's eighth
week.
Nearly 5000 workers, most of
whom never struck before nor
participated in collective action
as far as their work is con-
cerned, are still holding out
against the new management
of the watch workers and are
organized in the Watchmakers'
Protective Association.
This workers organization has al
ready taken the first steps toward af-
iliation with the American Federation
of Labor thru its becoming part of the
Jewelry Workers International union.
The workers in the machine shops
which make the Waltham watch-mak-
ing machinery are already in the Ma
chinists' International.
Town Backs Strikers.
The whole town of Waltham is be.
hind the strikers. The other citizens
have contributed $4,000 in all to help
the strikers win living wage and the
right to organize. The Irish land.
ladies who are losing tenants as strik-
ers seek work in other towns come
out to the semi-public square across
from the long old-fashioned red brick
buildings Of the factory and boo and
shout with the pickets. All of the
strikers picket morning, noon and
night and few are left on duty be-
tween to warn prospective workers
that there is a big strike on at Wal
than. Mayor Henry Beal has made
himself most unpopular by bringing
in extra police from Newton, the next
town, altho only one arrest has been
made and that not of striker.
The Waltham Watch and Clock Co.
came under the direction of Kidder
Peabody Acceptance corporation in
February, 1923. This firm of bank.
ers controls the Amoskeag mills of
| Manchester, N. H., where the workers
are reported to have accepted wage
cut thru their company union re-
Gently. President Frederick C. Du.
maine of Waltham is treasurer of
Amoskeag. Since the bankers took
over the direction of the watch works,
trouble has been brewing, secretary
Howard N. Mayhem Of the Protective
Association insists.
Organization Leaders Fined.
I. E. Boucher, who was brot from
Amoskeag to be WaItham superin.
tendent, soon changed the old system
of an aggrieved worker dealing direct
ly with the management as had been
the custom for more than 20 years. A
strike occurred in the assemblers' de.
partment within few months-the
first strike in the factory-and the
Protective Association began Inter
est in the union did not spread far
nor last long so that the organization
was practically dead by this last
summer. The leaders had been fired
long before.
When wage cuts up to 40 per cent
were announced for Aug. IL this year,
the finishing department workers tried
to send committee to Boucher and
failing, walked out. The strikers
hired hall at once, decided to call a
mass meeting, sent man with ban.
ner to march up and down in front
Of the factory announcing the big
Injecting for that evening in larger
hall. The place was packed Next
day a workers band was assembled
and went by the factory leading a
parade to the bicycle park. The
workers poured out of the factory
doors. and left their jobs.
Workers Demand Recognition.
Ernest Faulkner. who had been in
the earlier union nucleus. became
president of the revived Watchmak.
ers' Protective Association and the or
ganization began to function with all
the workers backing 1t. Demands for
recognition of the association and for
the right OF collective bargaining, for
return of workers fired during the two
past years for union activity; for the
return Of every worker on payroll OF
Aug. II to their former Jobs; for the
arbitration of future discharges with
the association; for time and quar-.
ter for overtime and time and half
for Saturday afternoon; for no fur.
Their wage reduction without arbitra-
finn with the aaaooafioo. ond a.