Montana labor news., 1932-08-18
PRINTING CRAFTS LOCKOUT ENDS

The lockout of the newspaper and commercial plants of Butte and Ana
conda amt to a surprising end when the pressmens, bookbinders' and
stereotypers' unions signed an agreement for a 81 per day reduction in
their basic scales. Butte Typographical Union had emphatcany rejected
the same proposal the previous day and had the assurance of me of the
other crafts to support their position. The action of the three unions
pressmen, stereotypers and bookbfnders-n signing up for the reduction
prevented any possibility of victory fr tn Typographical Union II It had
continued to fight alone. When the three unions abandoned the printers
they encouraged the publishers in their determination to resist every
EFFORT Oh he printers 70 secure d more sauNNacNiy se'ueme". me e
sponsibiiy for the intimed action of the three unions in signing up for
the reduction car be placed on the shoulders of their international officers,
who refused to take advice of their local members who knew the real
spirit of Buttes labor movement.
In 1927 the san crafts let the printers fight for IN increase in two
arbitration cases. The printers paid all the expenses of these cases, but
the other crafts secured a increase when the printers o the final de-
On Friday afternoon Butte Typographical Union reluctantly agreed to
the reduction: The settlement al not all one-sded, however. The pub
fishers had declared against any signed scales before and ven after the
lockout, and also We're mphaticany opposed to any form of arbitration.
The printers insisted o. and secured a signed contract protecting all their
former working conditions and an arbitration clause. After 80 days, with
the consent of three international presidents, the unions may demand that
an international arbitration board hear their petition for an increase. The
publishers cannot ask for any further decrease for one year.
The fight ws getting hotter every day. The printers committees were
successfully securing support throughout the state and the entire North
west. In all their battle of the past years they never secured SO much
publicity and cooperation from the trade union movement of the state
The State Federation of Labor and the entire labor movement of this
district we're soidy backing the locked-out unions. Montana Labor News
and other labor papers throughout the state we're giving the unions whole
hearted support. Independent publications were vigorously supporting the
unions in their campaign to counterfeit the misleading and "cohed" re-
ports of the Associated Press and United Press dispatches. The publicity
committee of the unions publicly declared that the new service writers
never interviewed their officers but deliberately sent out one-sided dis
patches.
The spirit of the committees and members of the crews who worked o.
the two issues of the Montana Labor News (prnted under the most try
ing conditions imagmable) W s inspiring to all who watched them work.
lEey We're a credit to their respective unions, and the labor movement
is proud of their cheerful and valuable cooperation. The men who donated
the Use Of their establishments free of charge to aid the unions are repre-
sentative of the many liberal minded citizens of the state who realized that
the unions we're fighting for the American standard Of living and for
principles that have proved to be of nestimabe value to the entire state.
The rumor that scabs we're to be imported to man the composing rooms
done more to crystalline public sentiment in favor of the unions than any
thing else. Nobody likes imported labor and everybody despises scabs.
Subscriptions and advertising would drop from any rat paper in Butte.
The most valuable lesson OF the lockout was the Importance of an indie
pendent daily newspaper in the state. The labor movement of the state
had better wake up before it is too late.
The uncontrolled business men we're outspoken in their support If the
locked-out unions They knew that a reduction in wag scales meant
less business for them. They knew from experience that every reduction
adversely affected their business, and every line of business in the com
muniy as well. The printing craftsmen will have to adjust themselves
to a lowered standard of living and the business men will have to get along
with a more restricted business The entire community suffers from the
effects of the lowered wage scales.