Montana labor news., 1937-05-20
Local Papers Misrepresent Posi-
ton of Clerks Union.
Organized Labor Pledges Re-
sources and Membership to As
sist Sister Organization.
Many Stores Have Already
Signed With Clerks Union.

Organized labor has pledged its
support to the Clerks Union in its
request for additional wages from
the Employers Association. The UNI
ions, including the miscellaneous
crafts, that is, the bartenders, street
car men, cooks and walters, BARRIERS,
bakers and others, have pledged
their answering loyalty to the
clerks organization. What this will
amount to if the strike is ~protracted,
remains to be seen. The Miners
Union, engineers and other crafts,
feel the same as the other labor
groups. There is no division in re-
spect to how labor feels to the re-
quests that have been made by the
Clerks as to hours of labor, wage
increases, and conditions of employ
ment.
Since 1919 the Clerks have not had
a general increase in wages. The
10 per cent offered by the employ
ers is not enough in comparison with
the increases that have taken place
in the cost of living and in COMPARE
son with the increases secured by
other labor organizations. That the
daily papers and representatives of
the employers should try to misrep-
resent the requests of the Clerks is
unjustifiable. To even make the in
ference that the proffer made by the
stores of a 10 per cent increase is
comparable to what has been ac-
quired by the other unions can be
considered in no other light than
an actual lie. The people of this
community r asked to see the
reasonableness of demands that are
being made by the clerks organiza-
ton.
Statement by Clerks
The daily papers have been in
ferring that the Butte Clerks Union
has rejected an increase in wages
approximating those increases ac-
cepted by other organizations, which
ranged from 60c to $1.00 per day.
The wage scales of the other organ
izations run from $685. to $3.50 per
day, while the scale for male mem
bers of the Butte Clerks Union in
textile stores is $3.50 per day. The
ten per cent increase offered by the
merchants would mean Acc per day,
or a total Of 1923 per day. The men
in foodstuffs stores and wholesale
warehouses receive $500 per day.
The increase of ten per cent would
give them so 1-3c, or 1888 1-3 per
day. The scale for women is 1888
1-3 per day. With the increase, they
would receive 1886 2-3 per day.
Our members feel that they are
entitled to the same standard of
living as the other workers in this
community. They feel that they are
entitled to the same increases given
to the other organizations in order
to maintain their families properly.
The Butte Clerks Union have had
no increase in wages since 1919, re-
ceiving at that time the present wage
scales. In 1882, the grocery clerks
suffered a reduction in salary of
$3.50 per week, and were forced to
work nine hours a day for the same
wage scale as the textile employees
who working eight hours. The
registered pharmacists also received
a reduction of $500 per week. All
members lost two holidays. In 1884,
the grocery clerks received an in
crease of $1.45 per week, or " the
1882 loss. The pharmacists received
no increase at this time. The ten
per cent increase now would not re-
store the pharmacists wage scale of
| 1923, which was $42.50.
The Butte Clerks Union feel that
it is necessary at this time to receive
an increase in wages in order to
keep pace with the advanced cost
of living.