Montana labor news., 1937-05-27
STORY OF The STRIKE
AT KELLOGG, IDAHO

The underlying causes OF the holl-
day of the Miners at Kellogg, was
the attitude of the management to-
ward the Morning Mine accident
last Ocober when ten men were
dropped to the bottom of the Morn
ing shaft and landed in a mass of
bloody pulp. The request of the
unions for a grand jury investiga-
ton was squashed by the company
and involved the prosecuting attor-
ney, district judge, and the Attorney
General of the state of Idaho and
Governor Ross of the state of Idaho.
The attitude Of the company has
been to make light of any efforts
of the unions toward recognition.
Upon the decision of the Wagner
Act by the Supreme Court, the I'M
ions Immediately began to build up
with the idea Of gaining recognition.
They were aided by Thomas F. Nc
CURE, International organizer of
Mine, Mill and Shelter Workers
from Anaconda, Montana. On May
9th an agreement committee met
with Howard G. Washburn, general
manager Of the Federal Mining and
Smelling Company. This commit
tee, composed of three members
from the Morning Mine and two
members from the Page Mine, met
with very ~insolent reception. They
were informed that this matter be
referred to the New York office.
The meeting was arranged for May
10. The committee was in power to
call a holiday of all employees of
the two mines if the agreement was
not accepted. The counter proposal
by the management was offered at
the May 18th meeting, which pro-
posal was deemed very unfair by
the committee as it would have
signed away part of the rights guar
anteed the men under the Wagner
Act. The one clause in the agree
ment offered would have caused
endless strife due to the fact that it
would have called for an election at
any time the company might secure
enough representation to change the
bargaining agent.
The requests of the Mullan and
Kellogg locals, eminently just and
fair, and this attitude is shared by
the Governor, Attorney General and
all fair-minded people. Under the
Wagner Act, it is legal and the con-
stitution guarantees the demands.
The men who are out on holiday
intend to get it. There will be no
compromises Of any description. The
hiring methods Of the Federal Min
ing and Smelling Company are done
through their agent known as the
King. Butte residents will we'll re-
member the time when he was loaded
on a flat car and shipped out of
Butte. His tactics make it impos-
sible for unions to grow and prosper
in the entire Occur d'Alene district.
He will not hire any kown member
of a union. He keeps the district
full of unemployed men but has
carefully placed advertisements in
areas stricken with drought, floods,
and other ca~tastrophes to break
down the morale of those people.
At this time he has two men in the
streets of Wallace contracting shah
billy dressed strangers who float into
town. 1t is believed that he is re-
cruiting strike breakers for future
use. In the last two years, he has
imported something like 5000 from
the strike torn tri-state area. Many
of them are good men but the ma
ioriy of them were strike breakers
in that area. The Mullan and KEEL
logg miners have maintained peace
at the cost of their own pride and
at a price that cannot be totaled.
Scabs Beat Up Woman
We saw, with our own eyes, a man
and his wife stagger into the union
office at Mullan Sunday night, the
CONTINUED on Page g.