Montana labor news., 1936-06-11
SENATOR MURRAY TO.
BE ASKED TO help
FORT PECK UNIONS
Glasgow, Montana
June 9, 1886.

Montana Labor News
We. the Fort Peck Federal Union
20,l92, are making what we think is
going to be a successful fight to or
game everyone on Font Peck dam.
But many OF the workers here do not
realize the value Of organization, and
no one is sure that everyone else will
stick. So our first job was to show
the Fort Peck workers that they were
just as capable OF uniting as any other
bunch OF workers.
As you probably know, men without
families in the district have to live in
the barracks in order to hold a job.
The barracks have been double bunked.
and lots OF them have bed bugs so
that sleeping is not so easy, There
are three shifts in a barracks and 48
men in a building "a by CO. And any
way a man ought to have the right to
spend his money as he pleases, and buy
lodging and food where it suits him,
Our members are treated just as
badly as anyone else, Also, we saw
that this would be a way OF uniting
the men in the barracks for something
they are all interested in. After they
have won the battle to make the bar
racks optional, they will know that
they can work together. We started
campaigns to write Senator Murray
and Army Engineers headquarters in
Kansas City, Hundreds of men have
done that who did not come to our
first mass meetings. We have dis
tributed, on several occasions, 5000
circulars. We know that the men have
read them carefully and a great many
OF them have written, as we have sug-
gested. The men are beginning to
realize that they are working together
on this thing. They also know that it
was the Federal Union which united
them.
Help US to win this battle for decent
conditions. Write Senator Murray.
telling him the Fort Peck barracks
ought to be optional and send a copy
to Colonel T. B. Larkin, Fort Peck.
II we get the barracks made optional
even the men who stay in them will
have better conditions because the
government will have to sell them its
services.
Boycott the Great Falls Tribune,
which has refused to send a reporter
up here, has refused to get its local rep
resentative to make a report, and has
refused to publish what we sen in,
Fraternally yours,
HAVEN P. PERKINS,
Vice President and Organizer.
UNION SEAL)
'
FORT PECK, MONTANA The
Fort Peck Federal Union 20,192,
which has been fighting for more de
cent living conditions at the Fort Peck
dam, and especially to make residence
in the barracks optional, has begun to
get action. Colonel Larkin, district
engineer in charge OF the project, has
been ordered to report to Washing
ton Immediately to discuss the situ-
alton. Postcards had been sent from
mass meetings to Senator Murray, and
the postcard campaign was continued
by distributing 5000 circulars over the
project. Senator Murray's telegram in
answer to these complaints says
"Your telegram received. stop. Secre-
tary Of War has ordered Col Larkin
to report to Washington Immediately
to discuss Fort Peck situation. stop.
intend to discuss the numerous com
plants which | have received with
Colonel Larkin personally, (Signed)
JAMES z. MURRAY
Rev. Haven P. Perkins, vice presi-
dent OF the Federal Union and one of
its organizers, was arrested last Sun
day night for distributing circulars.
He was evidently mistaken for a
worker on the project. He was re-
leased Immediately, but has been war
ned not to distribute any more circu-
lars except at meetings. Three men who
got into his car after the meeting on
Thursday evening had their numbers
| (the dam is just like a p%enitentiary a
man is known by his number taken
by a plain clothes man, The meeting
had voted to get in touch with all the
unions and farm organizations in the
state in order to bring more pressure
to get the barracks made optional
The barracks have recently been dou.
bic -bunked and many OF them are gen
erously supplied with bed bugs. Forty
to 48 men have TO live in a space q
by 90. Five or six policemen witt
teargas bombs attended the meeting.
Write Senator, James f. Murray
and send a copy to Col. T. B. Larkin
Fort Peck, Montana. Tell him tina.
the barracks ought to be made optional
Boycott the Great Falls Tribune. /
refused to print any information at al
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