Montana labor news., 1935-08-08
More Power to O'Byrne at
Fort Peck

In this issue Of the Montana Labor News APP
pears an article relating to the efforts of Mr..
Ed O'Byrne, Labor Commissioner of the State
Of Montana to correct labor conditions at Fort
Peck. This action by Mr.. OByrne is p%articul-
arly gratifying to the labor unions of the state
of Montana. Nothing in recent years has so irk-
ed the labor members and aroused their resent
ment so much as the treatment Of the workers
on the Fort Peck Project. 1t has assumed the
proportions of a scandal reaching to the utter
most borders of the nation. In the recent con-
vention of the Montana State Federation of
Labor the committee on Presidents report en-
bodied this paragraph in their recommendations.
"The committee recommends further that a con-
gressional investigation OF conditions and wages
at Fort Peck be made and that the convention
demand that the various international Unions
concerned take immediate steps to organize the
entire project"
At the convention in Helena in 1884 a special
committee reported to the Federation Conven-
ton and the report of that committee is pub
lished herewith in full. 1t was adopted by the
convention. This report shows the terrible ex-
ploitation that has been going on at this pro-
ject.
REPORT OF FORT PECK COMMITTEE
Helena, Montana, Sept. u, 1884.
To the Officers and Members,
37th Annual Convention,
Montana State Federation Of Labor.
Greeting:
Your Special Committee, appointed to deal
with the Fort Peck project, respectfully sub
mits the following for your consideration and
action.
Resolution No. 6. dealing with the abuses suf-
fered by the workmen employed on the Fort
Peck project, particularly as to wage scale and
wage classifications and requesting correction
of same, is concurred in and its adoption recon-
mended.
In addition to the subject matter dealt with
in Resolution No. 6, your Special Committee on
the Fort Peck project herewith presents a brief
review of the efforts made by organized labor
in the State of Montana to bring about the re-
moval and elimination Of the wrongs suffered
on the Fort Peck project by the workmen en-
ployed thereon.
The Fort Peck project has been under con
struction for nearly one year and continuously
since the inception of the work on this project,
the workmen employed have been the victims
of wage classification created for the purpose
of wage c~hiseling never before inflicted upon
wage workers in the State Of Montana.
Many Of these victims are totally unable to
secure any redress for the wrongs they have
suffered and are looking to the Montana State
Fed. of Labor and this convention for relief.
The Montana State Federation of Labor,
through the activities Of President Jas. Z. Ora
ham, formally protested to Major Larkin, the
u. S. Army Engineer in charge of the Fort Peck
project, the wage scales paid, the wage c%lassifi-
cation used by the contractors on this project
and in presenting the protest of this State Fed
Grafton, President Graham secured the presence
of a large number of international union officers
and representatives.
This formal protest was presented to Major
Larkin, at Glasgow, on May IS, 1884.
Despite this formal protest for the elimina-
ton of the many abuses complained of, no relief
was secured.
The protest and complaints became so numer-
Gus and continuous from all parts of the State
of Montana and from so many workmen who
had been the victims of short payment in wage
scales, that a Board Of Labor Review was sent
to Glasgow and Fort Peck from Washington.
This Board of Labor Review held hearings at
Glasgow and Fort Peck on July % and "a, 1884,
and a large number of international union Of
ficers and representatives again came to Glas-
gov and Fort Peck in response to an unreason-
ably short advance notice Of the dates set for
this hearing.
The report of the Board of Labor Review,
sent to the Chief Of Engineers, u. S. Army,