all the others would do so on the conditions previously laid down by their association, with the following amendment : men receiving pay by the week were to be divided into three classes, rated at $13.50, $14 and $15 a week. These firms, needing more men than had struck, were willing to receive their own former workmen without prejudice on account of their participation in the strike, and some of those who failed to secure work in the three shops.

The strike was thereupon declared off in all except the three shops, since it was believed that their proprietors were influenced merely by a desire to inflict punishment. Besides the fish skinners, the fish handlers and all who had felt impelled to enter the contest through sympathy returned to work. The women workers, however, who had grievances of their own, seemed to have been forgotten in the settlement, and did not return to work. The employers, having learned that the men's union was hostile to three lofts, refused in some instances to put their former employees to work, and in other instances, where work had just begun, laid them off pending a consultation of the employers on the whole matter.

A consideration of the new difficulty was thereupon taken by the employers' association, and all the men were locked out until the union should declare the strike off in all lofts. The news of this was brought to the union, in session at the same time, and the question of prolonging the strike in the three shops was reconsidered. In view of the fact that the men involved had obtained employment in other lofts, the strike was declared off throughout the city. The members of the employers' association were notified of the union's action, the locked-out men applied again for work on August 22, and all were reinstated.

Meanwhile, the women's union resumed the management of its own strike, and finally, with the assistance of the president of the Massachusetts branch of the American Federation of Labor, obtained a settlement, after several interviews with their employers, on the 22d and 23d of August.

It was estimated that the strike cost, in loss of wages, $1,000 a day; but the employers' losses were not estimated. All evidence of it speedily disappeared from the business of fish curing in Gloucester, for a greater degree of activity was now required to fill the accumulated orders and to meet the demands of the season. No recurrence of the difficulty has

come to the notice of the Board.

On August 4, having received information of a threatened strike, the Board interviewed the employers doing the greater part of the fish curing business in Boston, to ascertain their attitude and assist as mediator in the event of the controversy's continuance.

The next day a committee of workmen engaged in preparing fish for the market had an interview with their employers at the Boston Fish Bureau on the subject of alleged grievances, and left with the understanding that they were to meet again on the 11th. At a meeting of their union that evening the progressive report of the committee and the question of a strike were discussed. Members of the Gloucester unions were present by invitation, and stated the doings of the strikers in Gloucester, but urged that the Boston union postpone aggressive action during the pendency of negotiations, which advice was accepted unanimously.

Assurances were given by the employers to the Board that they would receive any committee of their employees which might call to discuss any real or fancied grievances, and would on occasion respond to any invitation to a conference that the Board might issue. It was apprehended that the strike in Gloucester might influence difficulties in Boston, but more than a week elapsed before any further threat was heard.

On the 11th the employees' committee had another conference with the president of the Fish Bureau, expressed dissatisfaction with the result, and said that a strike would probably be ordered on the following day, but on that day 10 men and 4 girls employed by Pierce, Austin & Co. struck, and the union declared a strike in all fish lofts. Again the president of the Gloucester union advised a reconsideration, and it was voted to postpone the general strike until the difficulty at Gloucester had been composed.

On August 14 the strike in Pierce, Austin & Co.'s shop was reported to the Board by a committee from the fish cutters. The men's original demands in Pierce, Austin & Co.'s factory were $13 a week, a 9-hour day and vacation on legal holidays. The employers offered $12 a week, which, after some hesitation, had been accepted; but they were not satisfied, inasmuch as they had to give a prompt reply, and in the presence of the foreman, who gave them no opportunity to consult with one another; for by this agreement they were required to do 20 per cent. more work for 20 per cent. more pay, and their condition was not improved in other respects, since the request for legal holidays was not granted. At the 10-hour rate, 10 boxes of large fish, weighing 40 pounds each, were required at $10 a week; under the new rule of 9 hours they were required to do 12 boxes a day,

some four or five girls employed in the rooms in special work, at which they were very expert, working 9 hours for $5.50. The employer had promised them $6 a week and a work day of 8 hours, on condition that they would do more work. This was not accepted by the girls, nor positively refused. When the girls returned on Monday, they found that a window had been fastened and painted white during their absence. This was considered an insult, and the girls quit work forthwith. It was their own act, without the consent of the union, although they were members of the union.

The foreman placed men upon the work that the girls were accustomed to perform. The men in the past never objected to doing this kind of work when the object was to help out, but it was repugnant to their feelings to do the work of girls on strike. One man refused and was discharged, and the others struck immediately. The firm, being interviewed, said in response that they were done with negotiating; they had made the men an offer, which they accepted; afterwards they saw fit to strike, and the firm knew no reason why they should do so. They took in new hands and had them fairly well trained; they were satisfied they could do business without the old hands. They were determined to do their business in their own way, but had no prejudice against their former workmen, and on application would re-employ upon the old terms as many of them as were needed. They would not grant additional pay or shorter hours. As for the painting of the window, they had received the thanks of other merchants in the vicinity, since as a result of that act passages leading to their offices were now free from loiterers.

This was subsequently reported to the committee, who

expressed satisfaction with the work of the Board, and nothing further was heard of difficulty in Pierce, Austin & Co.’8.

In consequence of the strike in the houses of Pierce, Austin & Co., Treat & Co. and Caswell, Livermore & Co., about 45 fish skinners, cutters and handlers were out of employment. The strike was never as complete as threatened, nor were the difficulties quite the same in any two shops. The Board interviewed both sides repeatedly. Both sides were confident of winning. Concerted action, however, was lacking, and such conferences as the union succeeded in obtaining with the employers were not well attended and were conclusive of nothing. The strike was never declared off, but by the 19th of August all the strikers were seeking employment either in the shops they had left or elsewhere. All the former employees of Caswell, Livermore & Co. were replaced by new hands. Treat & Co. were doing almost as much business as formerly, with a new force of men, and expressed their willingness to take some of the old hands back, on application, to replace the less efficient. After the 20th the fish handlers' strike in Boston ceased to occupy public attention.

1

TRIMOUNT MANUFACTURING COMPANY - BOSTON.

In the first week of August President John Mulholland of the Allied Metal Mechanics' Association of North America conferred with Secretary-Treasurer Ely of the Trimount Manufacturing Company at Roxbury, Boston, on the question of the company's alleged discrimination against men for membership in the union, and demanded that none but union men be employed, the abolition of a premium system and the