Montana labor news., 1936-10-01
WHY The UNIONS
VOTED DOWN The
(0MpANY'S OFFERS
Committee of Smelter Union
Explains Desires of Workers
in Recent Wage Scale Ballot.

A committee appointed by the
Great Falls Mill and Smeltermen's
Union has prepared a statement on
the wage proposals recently submit
ted to a ballot of union members.
The statement released by John
Clark Secretary of the local union
follows:
According to articles published in
the press of the state during the last
few days, pertaining to the new wage
agreement between the A. c. M. Co.
and the Mine, Mill and Smeltermen's
Union, the Unions, especially those
in Butte and Anaconda, are refus-
ing something that looks like a gift
from the company.
st is to present a different side
of the picture that this statement is
made.
'The news items referred to stated
that a Is or so cent raise in pay was
offered the men providing copper
stayed at an average price of not less
than 9.75 cents a pound. The Is
cent raise was to be effective provid-
ing a one-year contract were signed,
the 50-cent raise providing a two
year contract were signed.
"The news items, however, did not
make it clear that these wage mere
ases would be automatically wiped
out if the price of copper dropped be-
low the 9.75-cent average for any
3O-day period.
Should copper average below the
9.75-cent figure for any 30-day per-
iod, according to the terms of the
contract offered the men, the wages
of laborers would remain at $4.25 a
day, just what they are at the pre-
sent time.
SHOULD copper average below g.
cents per pound for any 30-day per-
iod, the wages of these laborers
would be cut to a point below their
present level, to $3.75 a day.
"The unions are asking that a
guaranteed wage of $500 daily be
given, which is less than the rate
paid to city or county laborers in
either Cascade, Deer Lodge or Sill
yer Bow counties.
There is opposition to the sign
ing Of the contract as proposed be-
cause of the belief that the Anacon-
da Copper Mining Co., n of the
largest buyers of copper, with its
subsidiaries, profits largely from the
~fabraction of copper, and its sale as
a finished product, and is therefore
not likely to exert itself in the Sigh
test to see that the price of refined
copper stays at or above the 9.75-
cent level.
another demand not mentioned
in connection with the proposed
wage agreement is the n asking
that a 40-hour minimum and maxi
mum work week be established. We
believe that the institution of such
a work week is vital to solution of
the unemployment problem in this
country. Until such minimum work
weeks are universally observed, we
believe the problem of unemploy-
ment will not be solved.
"At the present time a committee
representing the Mine, Mill and
Smeltermen's Unions in Anaconda,
Butte and Great Falls is comforting
with a representative of the United
States Department of Labor. With
in a short time negotiations with the
company are to be resumed.
"The committee is hopeful for {
change in the company's viewpoint
for an early completion Of the nego-
tiations and for the reaching of ar
agreement that will result in the es.
Enlistment of a guaranteed mini
mum wage for workers now receiv.
ing $21.25 Tor a five-day week. We
believe that the establishment 0.
such a minimum wage will result ir
satisfied Workmen and cessation o.
labor troubles which have marked
the past history of this state"