Montana labor news., 1936-07-23
Newspaper Workers To
Be Organized
Cascade Takes Lead In Enrolling
Men and Women in Guilds.

Men and Women in Guilds.
Endorsement OF the American News
paper Guild and OF its struggle against
Hearst in the Milwaukee Wisconsin
News" strike now in its fifth month,
was voted by delegates to the recent
Montana State Federation OF Labor
convention at Billings.
The first Guild in the state is the
Great Falls Newspaper Guild, charter
ed several months ago. Action Of
Great Falls newspaper workers in ef-
fecting organization wa commanded
by the State Federation resolution.
The American Newspaper Guild,
chartered as an international union
within the American Federation of La
Dor by the A. F. of L. executive coun-
Gil early this month, was organized
several years ago in Cleveland. 1t
spread rapidly and now lists more than
5000 members, including the majority
of editorial workers on newspapers in
most Of the country's biggest cities.
Its aims are to improve the wage and
hour standards of the news workers
by collective bargaining, and - ulti-
mately to raise the ethical stand
ards of American journalism.
Membership in the Guild is open to
any worker in the editorial department
OF a newspaper or press association,
regardless Of official capacity with the
exception that employees regarded as
representatives OF the publisher are ex-
Guided this usually bans the managing
editor and occasionally other execu-
tives. Telephone girls, librarians, copy
boys, however, are eligible equally with
reporters and desk men" copy edi-
tors.
The Guild has obtained through
peaceful negotiation, signed agree
ments and recognition on about 10
newspapers, including several metropo-
Titan journals; it has unsigned agree
ments and tacit recognition from sew
eral others. Three major strikes, two
OF which were o and the third still
under way, have marked its three years
of life.
The previous disputes involved a
Newark, N. j., daily and a negro pap
er in New York; in both Of these the
Guild emerged with substantial gains ~
a contract and recognition in the lat
ter case.
The third strike, still on, is that ag-
ainst the Hearst-owned Milwaukee
News" Called Feb. II, 1886, after
Hearst had evaded peaceful negotiation
efforts, it early won the militant sup
port Of Milwaukee labor for picket
lines and demonstrations and since
has earned nationwide attention thro-
ugh enlistment of organized labor thro-
ughout the country and Of prominent
writer's and publieists to aid the battle
against the publisher branded "Labor's
Public Enemy No. /" because Of his
consistent anti-labor and anti-progres-
sive policies in his newspapers and his
other holdings. The notorious Home
stake mines Of South Dakota, scene
Of fascist labor methods, are Hearst
properties as are millions of dollars
worth of other industrial and real es-
tate developments.
Great Falls Union Support Guild
Organized labor of Cascade county,
through the Trades and Labor Assem-
bly,, has vigorously backed the Great
Falls Guild in its efforts to press the
Milwaukee strike to a swift and sue
cessful settlement. Great Falls Guild
ers contributed sos in June in strike
assessments and dues. Great Falls
printers donated SIS and the county
Assembly Immediately followed with
another SIS gift to the Milwaukee strike
fund. Hearst publications have been
Officially declared unfair by the Cascade
County Trades and Labor Assembly.
Among the publications the follow
ing are distributed in this area News
papers - Chicago American, Chicago
Herald and Examiner, Los Angeles Elk
aminer, New York American, New
York Evening Journal, New York Mir
ror, Oakland Post-Enquirer, San Fran
cisco Examiner, SanFrancisco Call-Bul-
letin, Seattle Post-Intelligencer Mag
azines - American Weekly %(insert in
Hearst Sunday newspapers, Cosmo-
politan, Good Housekeeping, Harper's
Bazaar, Motor, House Beautiful, Pic
torial Review, Motor Boating, Town
and Country, American Architect and
American Druggist. The following
news and feature service are Hearst
owned Central Press ASSOCIATION, Chr
isty Walsh syndicate, International
News Photos, international News SER
vice, King Features Syndicate, and I'm
%iversal service.