Western news and the Libby times. [volume] (Libby, Mont.) 1920-1933, 1930-07-17
Gives Facts AS
To Butte Strike
(By United Press)

throes of strike which may become
general, Butte's organized labor and
organized business prepared this week
to fight the issue to a finish.
The result may mean that Butte
long a stronghold of the unions
will become known as an open shop
city.
impending several weeks, the stu
alton reached an open breach two
weeks ago and on June 80 union team
sters and machinists refused to &C
eept substantial wage reduction and
left their jobs.
The Silver Bow Employers. Associa-
ton, representing the larger firms in
all lines of business, declared the va
Gated jobs open and hired all
who would accept such work. There
were plenty who were willing to work,
and the trucks abandoned by tie
union men were manned by non-union
men
The association announced that
further negotiations with the striking
unions would be dispensed with and
that the men who had filled the Jobs
had been hired permanently.
Immediately. feeling ran high. Open
rloting broke out on the streets and
several strikebreakers were attacked
and two injured seriously.
Other unions, recognizing the stand
taken by the employers as a challenge
to union labor generally, called sym
pathy meetings to determine their
positions in the disturbance.
The clerks union-one of the strong
est with membership Of about 1000
was the first to announce a definite
stand. The clerks declared that to be
asked to handle goods delivered by
non-unlon men was unfair" to the
unions.
Meanwhile the association charged
police protection was inadequate and
went SO far as to say that some Of the
police special officers were none other
thar strikers
Mayor Kerr Beadle, laying aside the
dignity of city officialdom, mounted
truck to act as a guard The expert
ence was not SO inviting, and Mayor
Beadle ordered Chief of Police Gene
Murphy to employ additional officers.
Sheriff Angus Mcleod petitioned the
board of county commissioners for aid
and was granted permission to depu-
tie 100 special officers.
These arrangements were not salts
factory to the association which heaped
charges of intimidation on the strik-
ers, and declared truck drivers and
customers were being harrassed
No violence was repeated although
two special deputy sheriffs were cor
nered by crowd and given what
might have been beating had not
police arrived on the scene
With heavy guards of police and
deputies, deliveries were made. En-
ployerx continued to complain Of their
workers being molested Union men
denied the charges and accused the
association of being "autocratic."
With little display on either side.
the situation remained unchanged for
few days while the clerks union
and the association exchanged state
ments, The association charged the
clerks had violated working agree
ment when they closed Calkins' Sta
tionery store and demanded that
clerks be reinstated there, and further
that the order instructing clerks not
to handle non union delivered goods
be countermanded
This ultimatum was ignored by the
clerks union. Twenty-four hours after
the deadline had passed, the associa-
ton at meeting of its members and
some IS non affiliated business men
who had joined in the fight, agreed
to close their stores, locking the clerks
from their jobs
The bulletin displayed on store men,
orandum boards read: Notice is here
by given that this store under order
of the Silver Bow Employers AS
ISOLATION, will close this Saturday af-
ter l o'clock and remain closed until
further notice"
The association then issued a mem
orandum to all its members and to
others who had joined in the move,
laying down the conditions which were
to prevail in all business establish
ments.
The conditions provided were:
First: No merchandise of any kind
may be sold either across the counter,
by mail or in any other manner.
Second: A collection desk may be
established in the front part of the
store, this desk to be properly
screened from the rest of the store
room.
Third. All deliveries of merchan-
disc sold prior to the date of clos
ing must be made by special mes
senger, either Western Union or Postal
and in no other way"
The only exception to the order af-
fected drug stores. This type of store
was allowed to stay opened from 8
a. m. until p. m. for the prepara-
ton Of prescriptions only: sundry ar
ticles were not to be sold.
Meanwhile, delegation of union
leaders went to Helena to confer with
Gov. j. E. Erickson concerning the
situation and to protest any attempt
to have the militia called in to take
charge of he city.
Governor Erickson said that he had
not been asked to intervene in the sit
uation formally and that no proper
showing had been made that local
authorities were unable to cope with
the situation
Following the interview the deIera-