Montana labor news., 1938-04-28
SHEEP SHEARERS UNION FACES COURT
PROCEEDINGS In ARIZONA JUNE list

Folio. is a story of the strike
of the Sheep Shearers Union which
caused the incarceration of Nh. A. A.
Evans, president of the International
Union of Sheep Shearers, in the Jail
at Phoenix, Arizona.
The unions of Butte were much
disturbed over the incident, espe-
cially the Silver Bow Trades and
Labor Council, which called upon
the Arizona Federation of Labor and
the Phoenix Federation of Labor to
assist in the release of Mr.. Evans
and his companions, besides asking
the assistance of other organizations
in the prosecution of the strike.
Butte is the international head
quarters for the Sheep Shearers I'm
ion. Their office is located at IA West
Platinum Street. The office is very
modern and artistic. Members of
organized labor and especially the
officers of unions should pay a visit
to this international office. Notwith-
standing that Butte is n of the most
highly organized cities in the U. S.,
there is only one international office
located here and that is the Sheep
Shearers International office.
Here is the story of the sheep
shearers in the southern states:
Members of the Sheep Shearers
Union of North America, an Ameri-
can Federation of Labor affiliate,
were forced out on strike in the
states of Arizona and California in
their attempt to bargain collectively
and uphold a living wage for shear
ing sheep.
The strike in Arizona was called
on January 18th, California on March
Oath. The Arizona and California
Wool Growers Association, being
directed by the National Wool Grow
ers Association, with headquarters
at Salt Lake City, at first advocated
a hands-off policy, claiming their
Associations operated for service and
educational purposes only, and hav-
ing no jurisdiction for settling wage
disputes. However, the officials of
the Wool Growers Immediately took
a definite stand by soliciting the aid
of the Associated Farmers, who took
up the battle cry, down with Organ
lied Labor. 1t was an everyday oc-
currence to witness from fifty to one
hundred Associated Farmers, decor
ated with badges pertaining to law
enforcement, meandering around the
sheep ranches with a gun on each
hip, shotgun in their arm, handouts
hanging from their belt, looking for
some lonely union sheep shearer to
apprehend, and there were several
landed in the Phoenix County jail.
Nineteen union men were arrested
on the highway and charged with
unlawful assemblage, held on SIS
bonds each, which was forfeited.
Seventeen others visiting a shearing
corral where imported cheap labor
was at work, gates wide open with
s%ightseers being welcome, ar
rested, held in Jail eight days and
charged with rioting by a Justice of
the Peace and held under $500 bonds
each. Bonds were furnished the same
day as the hearing. The law at
Phoenix, Maricopa County, Arizona,
functions just a little different than
any other place on the face of the
globe. The County Attorney issues
John Doe warrants. The Sheriff or
deputies pay a visit to the union
sheep shearers' residence with in
structions to take anyone into Gus
tody that looks like he may be a
leader in the labor movement. Aft
er the unfortunate one is landed in
the Phoenix horse corral the COM
planning witness is rushed in, advis-
ing the County Attorney that he be-
lieves that guy was among the bunch
of racketeers and promptly his cor
rect name is fixed to the warrant.
Many union and n%on-union shearers
were held in Jail over night and re-
leased. After ten days of this pro-
cedure, striking sheep shearers were
sifted down to seventeen and they
are booked to answer the roll call
before a Superior Court judge at
Phoenix on June 21st.
The statewide strike in California
was more effective from a union
mans viewpoint, as shearing was at
a standstill for ten days. The secre-
tary of the California Wool Growers
Association made no false p~retenses
that his Association operated for
service and educational purposes
only and Immediately became the
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