Askov American. [volume] (Askov, Pine County, Minn.) 1914-current, 1934-08-02
STRIKERS ASK
LIVING WAGE
Some Truckers Are Getting
as Low as SIP Per
Week.
Military Rule Necessary to
Protect Citizens in
Crisis.
BY HENRY G.. TEIGAN

neapOllS is at this writing still In
progress. No settlement of the strike
has yet been arrived at nOtwithstand-
ing the efforts of the federal concilia-
tors and of Governor Floyd B. Olson
to bring about such settlement.
To begin with, it must be apparent
to all that the truck drivers did not
strike merely because they wanted to
stir up trouble for the BOSSES" 1t
was not merely a principle that was
| involved but an economic issue. The
truck men wanted an increase in
wages and also desired to establish
their right to bargain collectively
with the employers.
Several weeks ago when the strike
was first called, temporary agree
ment was entered into by the en-
ployers and employees. 1t was agreed
to by the employers that the truck
drivers should be permitted to select
their own representatives to meet
with representatives of the employers
in future disputes. In other words,
the workers under the agreement en-
tered into would have the right to be
represented through the union and its
officials if they so desired.
Employers Object.
The employers, however, when the
show down came, declined to live up
to the agreement. AS a result an
other strike was called. Immediately
thereafter federal conciliators, or
mediators, appeared upon the scene.
These federal representative are Rev.
Francis J. Haas and E. H. Dunnigan.
Both of these men have had wide
experience in matters of this sort, and
it should be taken for granted that
they are without bias in their efforts
to conciliate the contending parties.
Father Haas and Mr.. Dunnigan
made a proposal of settlement on the
following basis: a 421ac per hour
wage for helpers and inside workers,
and a 521ac per hour scale for truck
drivers. This proposal of settlement
was approved by the union member
ship by vote of 1866 to 147. The
employers, on the other hand, rejected
the proposal.
Gov. Olson Speaks.
In a radio address Monday evening
Governor Floyd B. Olson reviewed the
situation and pointed out that the
present difficulty now rests with the
employers who objected to dealing
with the present leadership of Union
547." This objection on the part of
the truck owners cannot be accepted
as being justified inasmuch as the
membership of the union itself had
voted upon the proposed agreement
of the federal mediatOrs. In other
words, decision on the part of the en-
ployes did not rest with the leader
ship" in the union but with the en-
ployes themselves.
Objection has been raised by the
newspapers and employers to the es
tablishment of military rule by the
governor in the strike area. The rea-
son for this is that the militia which
was so much desired by these elem
has not been used for the purpose of
breaking the strike but merely to pre-
serve order and to protect the citi-
zens of Minneapolis.
Military Rule Necessary.
That the governor found it neces-
sary to establish military rule is no
fault of his. Few governors of this
state found themselves more reluctant
to call in the militia in a strike
controversy than did Governor Olson
in this case. AS chief executive of
the state, it is, however, the duty of
Governor Olson to preserve order and
to protect citizens against loss of life
in a crisis of this Sort Surely there
can be no argument on that point.
In his address Governor Olson
pointed out that several of the en-
ployers are paying wages as low as
$1,000 per week. This is, of course,
a wage far below that necessary for
family man to provide food and
shelter for the members of his house
hold.
Holiday Folks Cooperate.
Under the military rule now in
forced in Minneapolis, farmers are
permitted to enter the city freely
with their food stuffs and sell them
direct to the consumers. Moreover,
it is of interest to know how the
Farmers Holiday Association has CO.
operated with the strikers in the
latters attempt to win the strike.
1t must be coming increasingly OBJ
vious to the people of this state that
the employing class has no desire to
yield an inch in its legal right to ex-
plot the workers to the fullest ex-
tent. 1t merely goes to illustrate how