Southwest Washington labor press. [volume] (Hoquiam, Wash.) 19??-19??, 1924-06-13

that "the foremen shall not be requir-
ed to reinstate a discharged member
(of the printing force) until ordered
to do so by the special standing COM
mittee"; and that cit shall require
the affirmative votes Of four (4)
members of the special standing com
mittee to decide the issues"
"The effect desired by this provision
on the part of the publisher is obvi-
Gus. To the very proper power given
by the union to the foreman to dis
charge an employee for incompetency,
INSTRUMENTATION, or neglect of duty
would be added the power of dis
charge for any act whatsoever, in
GLIDING activity in behalf of better
ment of conditions, or even in behalf
of their maintenance. It would give
to the foreman the power of discharge
upon within. 1t would give the power
of ultimate destruction of the union
itself
The Seniority Law
"The Post-Intelligencer's ultima
tum, besides frightening hours and
reducing pay, demanded the abroga-
ton of the unions seniority law. This
regulation, like that applying to the
powers of discharge, is fundamental
OF the international Typographical
Union. Its abrogation could not be
conceded by subordinate union even
if the members of that union so de-
sired. The seniority law has been in
the body of international union law
for many decades, and applies wher-
ever union printers produce printed
matter.
"The seniority law is the result of
determination on the part of union
printers to reduce to rule and write
into contracts a safeguard which most
employers regard as a moral obliga-
tion-the continued employment and
fair treatment of employees as they
grow old in the faithful service of an
employer.
'The Post-Intelligencer, in its ulti-
matum, demanded the abrogation of
this rule, manifestly in order that the
employer might throw his older
mechanical employees upon the scrap
heap, as he would a worn-out piece
Of machinery.
The American Weekly"
"In the acknowledgements state
ment to the public following the strike
of printers it referred to an imam
Gus dead-horse' provision insisted
upon by the union. This has refer
ence to the section in the proposed
contract requiring reproduction by
local printers of the American Week
ly Supplement to the Post-Intelligen-
Ger.
"This supplement is produced in
New York. It is fruitful source of
revenue to Mr.. Hearst of New York
through the inclusion of foreign ad-
vertising of products the purchase of
which would send much money out
of the Northwest to follow the money
which Mr.. Hearst, until the strike,
took to New York as profits from the
operation of the Seattle Post-Intel-
igencer.
"The insistence upon reproduction
of this supplement- here is the print
ers' contribution to the laudable cam
paign for products of home industry.
1t is a tariff for local community
revenue laid against the intrusion of
foreign goods.
SIT is more. It is a test by local
printers to determine the mutuality
of a contract. The reproduction
clause in the contract proffered to
the Post-Inteligencer is identical in
every particular with the clause un-
der which all other Seattle dailies OPP
crate, and under which they have OPP
Post-Intelligencer now refuses to re-
produce.