Montana labor news., 1937-08-05
Great Western Sugar
May Recognize Union
Driscoll Tells Story of Negotia-
tons; IL Company Agrees to
Organize, Boycott Will Be
Lifted.

l arrived in Billings Monday eve
ming, July 20. That evening, | met
with the representatives of the local
trades council in Billings. The next
day | again met with the representa-
tives of the Cooks and Walters and
the Federal Labor Union in regard
to outlining the plan to ~unionize the
sugar factory in Billings. The rep
resentatives of the sugar company
had asked for a conference in this
matter in regard to trying to find a
basis for settlement. The Federal
Labor Union called a meeting with
the employees of the sugar factory
at 8 o'clock that evening. About Is
of them appeared at the meeting.
President Graham, who had arrived,
also met with the local representa-
tives of the Trades and Labor Coun-
ell. We invited the men to join the
Federal Labor Union and explained
the benefits of organization, and also
told them that there would be no
discrimination in the matter. After
our discussion the meeting adj
journed.
We met again the following night
and took up the entire subject. The
men seemed to be more interested
in what we were attempting to do,
at this meeting, than the night be-
fore, but they were anxious to have
certain points cleared. It seemed
that they didn't know what the closed
shop meant. About 100 men that
work in the factory, work on a
monthly wage basis, the rest of the
employees work on a daily wage
basis. I explained the purposes of
the closed shop to them and urged
them to accept that theory. Then
they wanted to know if they would
be in one organization. The monthly
paid men are more satisfied with
their conditions at the present time
than the men working by the day.
The former seem to be favored. The
season Of the sugar beet is about
ready to start and the company is
anxious to have the boycott lifted.
Thursday, I met with the president
of the Montana Federation of Labor
and the president Of the Federal La
Dor Union and also with the officials
of the Great Western Sugar Com
pany. We went over the entire stu
alton in regard to the boycott and
also took up the matter of organiza-
ton. We told them that the required
number of men had not signed up
into the union and that negotiations
will be continued in the future. The
fact that the men didn't sign up with
the Federal Labor Union possibly
prevented a settlement of the entire
matter at that meeting, but we will
have to continue our efforts to try
to organize the plant. While in Bill
lings, I met with the joint board Of
the Cooks and Walters, Bartenders
Union and the restaurant employees
in regard to a new wage scale for
the Billings Cooks and Walters IN
ion. The employers offered them a
10 per cent increase in wages, on a
contract for a year.
Billings is more or less of an open
shop town. Associated industries are
active and the unions are beginning
to make some Roadway, and if the
policy adopted by the Montana Fed
Grafton of Labor at its convention
by its special committee, recommend
ling that the unions in the state con-
tribute to an organizing fund for or
ganizing purposes in such places as
Billings and other parts of the state,
be adopted, I predict that we will
get very good results in the near
future. j. DRISCOLL.