The labor advocate. [volume], April 28, 1917, Image 1

About The labor advocate. [volume] (Cincinnati, Ohio) 1912-1937

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INDEPENDENT
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Property and Official Organ of the Building Trades Council of Cincinnati and Vicinity
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Vol. V. No. 2
CINCINNATI, OHIO, APRIL 28, 1917
One Dollar a Year
Jgeabor;-AdvoCAie
Kroger
To Union Labor.
Not Put Them
His Clerks
The Kroger Grocery and Baking Com
pany signed up last Thursday with their
union drivers, after a six months' fight,
wherein Kroger lost thousands of cus
tomers who are members of union labor.
, As soon as they saw it was cheaper to
settle the strike than to lose trade, they
promptly did so, but the following ex
cuse, given by the company, is humor
ous !
"The union is given recognition; the
men receive a scale of wages satisfac
tory to the union, and they will partici
pate in the profits of the Mutual Haul
ing Company, organized by the Kroger
Company," Mr. Albers said.
"B. H. Kroger felt that in view of
the fact that the country was at war this
was no time for strikes," he said.
No, Mr. Albers, that's not the case
and Kroger is not so patriotic; if so,
either he or one of his sons would have
enlisted before now. If Kroger serves
the army it will be as a soldier.
The idea is, that union labor cut into
his profits and they have been endeavor
ing to organize his clerks and meat cut
ters so that they can get a living wage
and cut down the hours of servitude.
This has opened a field for grafters
known as private detectives, and Kroger
lias hired and paid a number ot, these
nnrnsitps tn have them assist him in
li; keeping the clerks from organizing.
But if the clerks have any brains they
can see that the only way to get favor-
k' Vjr - nicQJidJUQjiaijjvagesiisno.orgamxe-
ir- -i and fight forMf the same as the team
sters did. Kroger won t give you any
thing; you must demand it;, and with
the support of organized labor you have
a chance' to better your conditions..
Union men and their wives must not
be misled in this matter, as the mere
signing up with the teamsters does not
put Kroger on the fair list with the
street car men or hundreds of others
unions who have declared that his com
pany is unfair to their organization.
Kroger laughed at union labor, but
when they drew nearly half a million
dollars out of his bank he quit laughing
and started to destroy the unions, but
failed. The brewery workers alone
withdrew nearly two hundred thousand
dollars at one time.
Krogcr's pride was stung when he
started to fight the rapid transit loop.'
His gang of financiers were evidently on
the wrong side of the fense; but when
we stated that Kroger was behind the
opposition to the loop, organized labor
voted solidly for it, and the ordinance
was carried two to one.
Organized labor should demand that
the legislature nass a bill abolishing
trading stamps and premiums and put
Mr. Kroger on the same basis as any
other grocer or butcher.
BONUSES IS SPY AID.
Indianapolis. Detective agencies have
realized the value of the bonus system
in their work of smashing trade union-
icm nrrnrilinrr to flip United Mine
Km Workers' journal, which reprints a cir-
e cuiar issueu in west Virginia, wnne me
miners were negotiating with operators.
"Our experience has convinced us that
the bonus system that is now in opera
tion gets the desired results," says this,
agency. "We find the best way to con
trol labor organizations is to lead and
.not force them. We are also convinced
that the conservative elements in all
unions will control when properly led
and officered, which we arc prepared to
do. We help eliminate the agitator and
, organizer quietly with little or no fric
tion. "Our spotters are going from place to
place, and you will find that they will be
able to put over the bonuses that, we
offer, that has for its purpose the de
struction of the mine workers, and a
nuietinc effect upon the men who are
restless. It makes them believe they
don t have to pay dues in an organiza
tion in order to get an advance in wages.
It has the desired effect for this reason
when all the agitation has subsided,
we can take the bonuses back off."
WOMEN'S 50-nOUR LAW SIGNED
Columbus, Ohio. Gov. Cox, has signed
a bill limiting the hours of women work
ers to 50 in any one week. Seats for
women shall be supplied whereyer possible.
Grocery Company Still Unfair
The Mere Fact That They Signed An Agreement With a Few Drivers Does
On the Fair List. Kroger' s Fight Against Paying Living Wages To
Continues. Meat Cutters and Other Employees Are Still Unfair.
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AMERICAN MOTHER,
Court House Strike Called Off
The Sheet Metal Workers and Carpenters Divide the
Metal, Trim Work Resumed Last Wednesday Morn
ing. Final Adjustment Entrusted to Arbitration
Board, Who Must Render a Decision in Twenty Days.
An agreement to end the strike on the
new Hamilton County Court House was
reached at a meeting of the New Court
House Building Commission last Tues
day. Unions contesting the rjght to set
the metal door bucks and jambs and
install locks, agreed to divide the work
equally, pending the decision of an arbi
tration committee to be appointed, and
the men returned to work Wednesday.
To date, the strike, which has been in
progress since January 20, has cost the
county $45,000 figuring a day's delay in
the completion of the new building for
each day of the strike. President Her
bert B. Knox said, with the co-operation
of the union men, a part of this time
may be made up.
Many Propositions Submitted.
Several propositions and counter prop
ositions were submitted at the meeting
of the New Court House Building Com
mission. H. H. Stewart, of the Metal
Workers union, proposed an equai ui
vision of the work. Members of the
commission and President John H. Don
lin, of the Building Trades Department,
American Federation of Labor, declared
the proposition submitted by Mr. Stew
art was a fair one, but John H. Potts,
of the Carpenters' Union, would not
agree to it.
When the commission was in execu
tive session to determine upon future
action, Potts consented to a submission
of another proposal providing the work
be divided, but that Hamilton County
residents only be permitted to work on
Hws Jet
Pancoast in Philadelphia North American.
"ARE YOU GOING TO STAND FOR THAT, BOYS?"
the job, and that an arbitration commit
tee be appointed to settle the difficulty.
The following proposition was accept
ed finally by both sides :
"Referring to the proposition sub
mitted by the Amalgamated Sheet Metal
Workers' Alliance and the United
Brotherhood of Carpenters and Joiners
of America, and in order to arrive at
a settlement of the controversy as to
who shall erect the metal door bucks
and jambs and metal trim in the Hamil
ton County Courthouse it is agreed :
To Resume Work Immediately. .
"1. This work shall be resumed imme
diately by dividing the same between the
two above-named unions, 50 per cent to
be erected by each, and all other trades
now on a strike shall return to work im
mediately. "2. The work shall be resumed by the
sheet metal workers and carpenters sub
ject to an arbitration as to whom the
work belongs and by whom it shall be
erected.
"This arbitration shall be conducted
by an arbitration committee consisting
of six members, three to be chosen by
the sheet metal workers and three by
the carpenters. If the six so chosen are
unable to agree without the appointment
of an umpire, or seventh member of the
Committee of Arbitration, the six mem
bers chosen as above set forth shall
choose or select a seventh member of
the Committee of Arbitration, who shall
act as umpire and whose decision shall
be final and binding upon .both the
United Brotherhood of Carpenters and
Joiners of America and the Amalga
mated Sheet Metal Workers' Interna
tional Alliance.
Decision In Twenty Days.
"The Committee, of Arbitration shall
render a decision upon this question
within 20 days from the date of this
agreement. Pending such a decision and
until the work on the new Hamilton
County Courthouse shall have been fully
completed the work herein involved shall
be continued without further interrup
tion on a basis of an equal division."
The acreement is signed by John H.
Potts, Harry Cordes and William
Reinke on behalf of the carpenters and
H. H. Stewart and Harry J. Dorsey on
behalf of the metal workers.
An equal division of the work will be
made by placing the carpenters in the
north half and the metal workers in the
south half of the building.
Resolutions thanking the union offi
cials and President John H. Donlin of
the Building Trades Department A. F.
of L., who came here from Washington
in an effort to settle the strike, were
adopted by the Commission. The mem
bers of the Commission also extended
their thanks to Judge Otway J. Cos
grave and Frederick L. Hoffman, of the
Common Pleas Court, who sat in the
Commission during four meetings in an
effort to reach an agreement.
PAINTERS TO PICNIC
Tim Rnnctprc' filth nf Pointers' Local
'No. 308, will give a big family picnic
at Kosedale fark, Covington, ry., on
June 3, and it is expected to be one of
the few big outings of union labor this
summer.
CIT1' FIREMEN ORGANIZE.
Seattle. Municipal firemen have or
ganized and affiliated with the American
Federation of Labor. About one-third
of the entire force has already joined
the new organization.
- BUILDING TRADES COUNCIL
Hold Regular Meeting A Mnss of
Routine Business Transacted Cin
cinnati Better Housing Commit
tee's Campaign for More Inspect
ors Endorsed.
The Building Trades Council held its
regular meeting last Thursday night.
Jos. A. Cullen presided. The minutes of
the previous meeting were read and
adopted.
A communication from the Slate and
Tile Roofers stated that Sam Specht
hacU retired as delegate to the Council
and that Ben W. Stewart had been elect
ed in his place. Brother Stewart being
present he was duly obligated.
A communication from the Cincinnati
Better Housing Committee was read, re
questing the Council to endorse its move
ment oi securing more tenement house
inspectors. The letter paid a high tribute
to Dr. Landis and Geo. E. Rendigs.
Upon motion the same was unani
mously endorsed.
The minutes of the Board of Business
Agents was read and adopted.
The report of the business agent was
read and concurred in.
All trades reported business good.
tijaJSEdJiaiSSftJ'C- ".
in?frB a 11" nhntftmrn1
Robt. Siekman, formerly business
agent of the Painters' District Council,
has been appointed assistant fire mar-
Robt. Siekman.
hall by Gov. Cox. Thisappointment is
pleasing to organized labor as "Bob" has
.been a hard worker in the ranks for a
number of years, and Labor wishes him
good luck.
PAINTERS RAISE WAGES.
Orange, N. J. Painters' union No.
242 has negotiated a one-year agree
ment that raises wages from $3.75 to $4
a day.
Augusta, Ga. After a four-hours'
strike Painters' union secured a union
shop agreement, a 44-hour week- and a
wage increase of 5 cents an hour.
Pittston, Pa. Wages have been in
creased from $3 to $3.40 a day by Paint
ers' union No. 488.
Grand Rapids, Mich. Painters' union
No. 119 is winning its strike for higher
wages. Over 100 of these workers are
being paid the .new 50-cent rate.
Peoria, 111. Members of Painters'
union No. 157 arc now working under
their new wage agreement, which raises
wages 5 cents an hour.
Topeka, Kan. A three-days' strike of
organized painters secured an agreement
with employers. Wages are raised from
45 to 50 cents an hour.
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