Montana labor news., 1938-12-08
EXPLAIN
THEIR POSITION IN AN
OPEN LETTER TO KELLY
Continued from Page y

NOOILllu6Q OH rage ~
of the other two. The majority of
the locals voted to accept the 5O-cent
increase for two years. The accept
ance of the increase of so cents per
day for two years, could not by any
reasonable Interpretation, be con-
strued as an acceptance of the orig
inal agreement or of its approval.
At this time our loss of autonomy
was not recognized because the diff
ferent locals voted on the three pro-
posals submitted and the majority
carried the issue.
Since 1884 the locals of the I. B. E.
W., in Butte, Anaconda and Great
Falls have repeatedly written our
international president, protesting
the agreement, and asking that we
be permitted to negotiate uniformly
met with the equivocation and eva
sion SO customary with our inter
national office.
Previous to the 45-day limit pre-
ceding the expiration of the agree
ment this year (1938), the three
locals in Butte, Anaconda and Great
Falls, unitedly served notice on the
company, that we desired to add an
addenda to the agreement covering
some changes in wages and working
conditions. Appointments were
made and Mr. Dan Kelly and Mr..
Daily saw our combined committee
Of twelve members, and informed
us very definitely and clearly that
the 1. B. E. w. was not a party to
their agreement, and therefore had
no voice in it, and could not make
any changes in it whatsoever.
Previously we had not realized
that our International, and all of the
other Internationals, whose members
were employed by the company, had
lost their identities and could have
nothing whatsoever to say regarding
our wages or conditions of labor,
and that we had been sold, bartered,
exchanged, and otherwise handled
as an ordinary chattel.
Our craft was the first one to
attempt to open the agreement, and
by the time we had finally been
told by the officials of the company
that our jurisdiction was nom
existent it vas too late for the mem
bers of the other Internationals to
serve notice of their desire to open
the agreement during the current
year.
Since they have become aware of
their loss of identity and of their
impotency, they are up in arms as
all freedom loving outstanding Amer
leans should be. Because the en-
ployees of the A. C. M. Co. in Butte,
Anaconda and Great Falls cannot
seemingly obtain through any known
sources, recognition of their inherent
and constitutional right to bargain
for their services by representatives
of their own choosing, an alternative
is being originated in a new setup
consisting of representatives from
each local whose members are en-
ployed by the company. 1t is the
intention of this body to now request
from the company that the two days
off per week shall occur on con-
secutive days such as Saturday and
Sunday, or Sunday and Monday.
This body will also request that the
weekly wage be not diminished be-
cause of the change to the five-day
week now in effect.
The sell-out of the Internationals
to Mr.. Frey of the A. F. of L. has
Embossed conditions of explosive
potentialities not comparable with
the round-table plan of discussing
agreements which were in effect be-
fore MI. Frey so maliciously and
stupidity interviewed and prevented
such democratic adjustment of diff
ferences concerning conditions of
labor and wages.
The A. F. of l.. and our subservient
Internationals have despotically,