Evening star., 1933-05-08
WAGE CUTS START
SERIES OF STRIKES
New England Shoe and
Leather Industry Crippled
by Fight of Workers.
Special Dispatch to The Star.

Special Dispatch to The Star.
BOSTON, May (NAN.A).-Bos-
ton recently has been the center of an
exceptional series of strikes in the i'm
portant shoe and leather industries.
The strikes have been fought by dif-
ferent unions, some local and some ma
tional The one thing they have in
common Is revolt against depression
cuts in wages. Practically all have been
Won and have established higher scales.
The center of the leather industry of
Massachusetts, that embraces some 40
tannerles in Peabody, Salem, Lynn and
Danvers, has been paralyzed six weeks
by one of the most remarkable strikes in
the history of that industry. More than
5000 workers. who swept out of their
shops overnight like a whirlwind, have
developed solidarity for their cause
which has held them out in spite of
offers by the manufacturers of wage
increases and arbitration agreements.
Recognition Demanded.
The men hold out for recognition of
their National Shoe and Leather Asso-
citation. new organization created in
Lynn by revamping shoe union.
With this new weapon the men on
the leather industry of America on
level of a living wage and fair price.
Their arguments have so interested
the local community that a neutral
committee, organized to end the strike.
has urged the manufacturers to accept
a test period of the unions operations
to see how it works out for the remain
der Of this year, with an impartial
board OF citizens to umpire disputes
that arise during the probationary
period.
Judge Daniel c. Manning. a class
mate of President Roosevelt and for
10 years a district court Judge at
Peabody, developed the idea of put
ting the union on probation. as a means
to break deadlock in negotiations.
The judge has worked strenuously to
bring a new deal to the tanneries of
his native city.
Open-Shop Industry.
The leather industry centering on
Peabody has always been an open
shop industry An almost paternal sys-
tenn has developed in some long estab-
lished factories. Employers are neigh
bors of their men. Some grew up
together. Wages generally have been
fair and conditions of work satisfac-
tory. Wage scales are claimed to be
the highest in the country even now.
Recently a few 'sweat-Shop" tan
neries have taken advantage of unem-
ployment to push down wages below
comparable to the sweat shops that
have crept into the textile cities of
New England under cover of the de-
preston. Intolerable conditions, indi-
Gated by testimony of men with fam
lies paid SO for full week, and girls
employed for S5.40 for a full week,
working under dripping acid and CROP
ing down unlighted staircases, have
been undisputed.
Such competition has forced down
wage scales in competing factories un-
til. to quote Mayor Bates of Salem
the men were ground down until they
rose up
Public officials have warned manu-
facturers that bringing in strike
breakers and armed guards was incite-
ment to violence. The manufacturers
request for the State police had been
refused. The mayor of Peabody has
refused to call out the National Guard.
The mayor of Lynn has told the manu-
facturers that he cannot use the whole
police force to break a strike. Threats
of certain plants to move away from
the local district leave the community
cold.
New Settlement Plan.
Out Of the circle of strikes in the shoe
industry centers of Eastern Massachu-
setts, new plan for strike settlements
has evolved, known as the Hudson plan
1t is device for meeting the difficult
issue of union recognition.
Chairman Edward Fisher of the State
Board of Cancellation and Arbitration
had to deal with this issue in strike
in Hudson few weeks ago. He in
vented form of agreement that offers
the men the opportunity to organize
End obtain collective bargaining and to
secure arbitration of disputes, while
! not demanding of the manufacturer a
closed shop. The manufacturer does
not recognize the union. But the State
Goes, and the board functions as a me-
dlum for negotiation between manufac-
turer and men. Its decisions are final.
Strikes in Hudson Athol and MARI
boro have been settled on this basis and
one is now pending settlement In
tCopyrieht, 1888. by North American News
Lowell.
manor Alliance TpcN