Montana labor news., 1936-05-14
Strikebreakers Enter
Billings Sugar Fields

Last weekend seven carloads OF
people passed through Butte enroute
to Billings, presumably to work in the
sugar beet fields.
The labor movement OF Silver Bow
County was notified by the Yellow
stone Trades and Labor Council that
this train was passing through here.
On the spur of the moment, two COM
mercial photographers were authorized
to go to the Northern Pacific depot
and take pictures of these folks so
that they could have concrete evidence
of the importation of these scabs in
to this state for the purpose OF under
mining the Beet Sugar Workers I'm
ion of Billings.
The train apparently pulled in a little
early and it was reported that it came
in over the short line. 1t was the
presumption here that the workers in
these cars might be transferred-and
that an opportunity would present
themselves to take some good pic
lures. Instead Of this, however, the
whole section was transferred to the
N. P. tracks and the inmates Of the
coaches did not descend to the depot
platform. Certain individuals repres-
enting themselves as either officials Of
the Railroad Company or OF the Sugar
Beet Company demonstrated with the
photographer in his efforts to secure
photographs. The photographer ask
ed permission to enter the coaches,
this was denied him. He also was told
not to take any pictures of the inmates
Apparently the people inside the train
had been coached by the officials not
to show themselves because when an
effort was made to look through the
windows it was seen that they were
crouched down into the seats and be-
hind the seats.
Seldom has Butte witnessed a con
dition where a whole train load of
strike breakers passed through its city
destined for work in other fields. The
Trades and Labor Council has often
made overtures to the Railroad men
to affiliate with the Central Labor
body here and in other communities
so that they could keep in touch with
events t%ranspiring that are of interest
to labor, but the railroad men have al
ways held aloof. This article is not
intended as a condemnation of the
men working on the railroads but
nevertheless if they were affiliated with
the trade unions here, they at least
would have known the type OF peo-
, pie they were carrying and what the
! purpose Of these people were.
For some time in Billings, the un-
ions have been having trouble witt
: the Great Western Sugar Company
: There has been a strike and that strike
. is still on in Yellowstone County
There can be no other reason for thi'
G train load of workers than that they
, are going to be used to break tht
strike. 1t is doubtful if the workeri
know the purpose OF their journey
What makes this situation SO glarinl
is that the unions have protested thu
1 importation Of cheap labor into thu
: state at all times even under fair anC
peaceable union conditions, but thu
importation of cheap labor in time o
, labor trouble is indefensible. Gov
u Holt was requested to stop this influx
The Department of Labor of tn,
: state of Montana has Investigated thi
= situation and in a report by the La
: Dor Commissioner Edward O'Byrne
he stated that last year only abou
: one half of the normal number o
people were engaged in the suga
beet industry as there were only APP
proximately II thousand acres unde
cultivation, while this year it is ex
pected that there will be $4,000 to Is
900 acres under cultivation.
Last year the Beet Sugar Work
ers presented demands to the Grea
Western Sugar Company. At tina
time the union, according to the re
!. port, had as many as 1900 member.
They asked for an increase from $21.5
to $1,000 an acre in caring for the crol
Quite a number of transactions are in
cluded in this item of $1,000. Had tn
union secured its demand it may hav
been possible that they would not hav
been placed upon relief last winter an
that was the object in asking for tn
increase.
is In defense of the farmers the Labc
as Commissioner stated that they cannC
afford to pay more than they hay
7" been paying because the sugar be,
company pays them such a small priC
in for the sugar. However, the finar
D. cial statements Of the sugar beet il
III dustry shows huge profits and larg
dividends to the stockholders. All tn
IN money is secured by giving the farm
h, er a starvation contract price and u
er ing cheap imported scab labor in Il
n fields.
ed The state officials are familiar wit
Of the labor situation at Billings. The
are aware of the attitude of the labC
r movement toward the importation
Iel scabs and strikebreakers. AS far
lie can be learned the various state o
ficers made no effort to halt this a
On sault on the organized labor moveme.
in OF Billings and the whole state
a Montana.
10
re Union Men and
WovoorI