The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1935-01-22
CITY PRINTERS
VOTE TO SEEK
STRIKE ACTION
Times Chapel Petitions
Local Union to Ask Inter-
national Sanction.

Federal Judge Robert r. Nevin,
Dayton, O., acting as arbiter. yester-
day advised indianapolis newspaper
publishers and their unionized COM
posters that it is his boards opin-
ion that neither Is entitled to its
wage rate demands.
Parties before the board Of arbi-
tration. of which he was chairman,
were the indianapolis Typograph-
ical Union No. l and the Indian
apolis Newspaper Publishers Asso-
citation. The board took the mat
ter under consideration Nov. Is,
1894.
Soon after the arrival Of the de-
cisiOn, The indianapolis Times
Chapel Of the union voted to seek
strike sanction from the Internal
tional Typographical Union and, if
the sanction was not granted, to
strike without sanction. The In
dianapolis News Chapel passed a
resolution asking for a special union
meeting Sunday.
Later. the indianapolis Star chapel
called a special meeting for Sis to-
day.
The contract between the union
and the publishers called for the
opening" of the contract on its an
niversary date each year (Jan. ID
for wage negotiations.
The contract expired Jan. II, 1885,
and the action taken yesterday by
the union cOmpOsitOvs was designed
to force action by the publishers on
a pending scale, cOmpoSitOrS said.
The publishers had asked a re-
ductiOn Of 10 per cent in pay for
members Of the union, and the
union asked in a counter proposal
for a weekly scale increase Of ap-
prOXimately 10 per cent.
Rules Are Set Forth
The chairman said he h a d
adopted the following rules for bur-
den of proof in making his decision:
Il That the burden of proof is
upon the publishers to show that a
decrease of the present wages will
be advantageous to both the en-
plOyer and employe together as in
tegral parts of the industry and
wholly inseparable therefrom.
,. That the burden of proof is
upon the union to show that the
proposed increase of wages to the
1929 level is justifiable in the face
of much lower annual earnings than
men are receiving in other in
dustries. in the face of the fact that
higher wages paid to those now
working would deprive a number
that now are working of their
employment and would prevent
many who are not now working
from returning to their jobs.
Furthur Burden Cited
THE furthur burden is upon the
union to prove that the additional
pay roll expense would contribute
at this time to the prosperity of the
employing newspapers and all of
their employees"
In support of their proposal for a
reduction in wages of 10 per cent,
the publishers urged that the labor
pay roll is the major item of ex-
pense, even greater than that for
newsprint paper. the publishers
said. The association pointed out,
the publishers contended, that the
union sought to increase their ex-
penses by $4,000, and that the bust
ness now is facing a great crisis
with new restrictions and with new
competitors in the form of radio
stations and kindred projects.
The publishers called the atten-
ton of the board to an increase of
$3.50 a ton in the price of newsprint
for the first six months of this year,
and a furthur increase of not more
than $3.50 for the second six
months.
Lineage Gains Cited
The union called the attention of
the board to Media Records pub
lished June last year which covered
the record of lineage gains from
May. 1888, to May, 1884. intending to
show the alleged healthy condition
Of Indianapolis newspapers. The
boards attention also was called to
the hourly wage rate paid in a
number Of cities smaller than Indi-
annapolis. Among the cities re-
ferred to are Albany. N. Y; Dallas,
Tex; Akron, o.; Dayton. O.; Hous-
ton. Tex. and San Francisco. all of
which the union contended were
paying an hourly rate higher than
that now demanded by the union
here.
It was claimed on the part of the
union that any award by way of in
crease in wages should be retroac-
tive TO Jan. II, 1884. or such sub
sequent date as the chairman
should deem proper.
The contract which the board