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had been ordered to take place upon the 16th.

The cause

of the difficulty was that an employee who had been assigned to work that appeared to involve promotion, and had subsequently been put back into his former place, refused the position that he now considered too mean for one of his ability, and was thereupon discharged.

On the advice of the Board, on July 16 a conference was had between the parties in interest, and, as a result, the strikers returned to work on the following day.

CHICK BROTHERS—HAVERHILL.

A strike of 72 turn workmen and lasters, for higher wages, occurred on July 16. The Board communicated with the employer, who said that he was taking stock, and should not require the services of the Board before August 1.

The demand was for an increase of wages, but resulted in failure, some returning to work at the old rates, and some new hands being hired in.

AMERICAN TOOL AND MACHINE COMPANY –
HYDE PARK.

The American Tool and Machine Company of Hyde Park, a member of the National Metal Trades Association, which had agreed with the International Association of Machinists. for a 9-hour day, received early in June a letter from their employees, requesting an increase in wages amounting to 1212 per cent., and that an answer be given on June 11, at 10 o'clock. At 9.30 in the forenoon of that day, in accordance with a notice in the Hyde Park factory, the works were to shut down until 1 o'clock, when all who desired to return

under the old conditions might do so on personal application. The men went out at 9 o'clock on strike. Employees in the Boston shop of the same company quit work at the same time. About 200 workmen were involved, including machinists, millwrights, pattern makers, apprentices and blacksmiths.

After a couple of weeks a committee of men called and notified the Board and requested a conference with the employer, with a view to a settlement. Arrangements were thereupon made for a conference on the 29th, the employer's consent having been obtained, and invitations were issued to the parties.

On the 29th the workmen appeared, but the employer did not, for the following reasons, as stated in a letter to the Board, substantially that, the strikers' places having been filled by desirable men, the employer would under no circumstances consent to displace them; that many of the strikers had been re-engaged to work in their former positions; that the labor difficulty had been the occasion of the company's refusing orders; that it had delayed work on old contracts, many of which had been cancelled or postponed to the next season; and that fewer men, therefore, were needed to operate the works. The letter further stated that some of the former employees had legal proceedings pending against them for unlawful acts, others had entailed heavy expenses and losses on the employer by their interference with the conduct of the business, while others had been promoters of dissatisfaction; it was deemed best not to re-employ such men.

Nothing further was heard in the case.

PEVEAR & CO. - LYNN.

On July 22, 18 Armenians employed in the morocco factory of Pevear & Co. at Lynn struck, to enforce a demand for an increase of $1 a week for seasoning skins. The wages paid were $7. Twenty-eight dozen a day was considered a fair product for one man. Pickets were posted. The Board interposed, and learned that the firm had a large amount of work from the hands of the seasoners ahead of the glazers, and, as glazers were hard to find, the stock had accumulated at this stage of the process. The strike had enabled the employer to diminish the pile, and on the 27th he sent for the men with a view to inducing them to return to work, which they refused to do. Eight, however, returned on the 29th, and the firm believed that the others would be at work on the following day. The attitude of those who remained out could not be ascertained. The employer said that the wages were low for the reason that the work did not require skill, and that he was paying as much as his competitors. Later on the same day it was learned that the workmen in question had declared the strike practically at an end.

STAFFORD & SON-LAWRENCE.

Twenty-eight boiler makers employed at the Merrimack Iron Works in Lawrence struck for a 9-hour day with 10 hours' pay.

The Board visited Lawrence and brought about a conference of parties, which was adjourned to the following day, with some hope of an adjustment of the difficulty, the parties promising to notify the Board of the result.

On the following day, in pursuance of the Board's advice,

a settlement was reached whereby the 9-hour day was granted, the compensation from that day to September 1 being at the rate of 912 hours, and thereafter to be at the rate of 10 hours. On July 31 the men returned to work.

E. MCCABE - LAWRENCE.

There was a strike of 15 boiler makers in the Lawrence Boiler Works on July 20, 1901.

The Board mediated on the 30th, but found the parties inflexible, the men demanding the 9-hour day at the old 10 hour pay, the employer determined to run a non-union shop and make no concession.

No news of a settlement has ever reached the Board, but it is reported that the places of the strikers were filled with non-union men. On April 1 of the current year the employer voluntarily reduced the hours to 9 without diminishing the day's pay.

LIBRARY BUREAU-BOSTON.

On July 29, 5 pressmen employed by the Library Bureau quit work because of the discharge of a man whom they regarded as a leader, on the eve of their demand for the abolition of piece work and the substitution of a weekly wage of $13.

Responding to invitation, on the 31st the business agent appeared and said that the press room in question was the only one in Boston of that kind, obliging men to work under the piece system, and that the earnings were about $12 per week; that no formal recognition of the union would be insisted upon, if suitable wages could be fixed. The employer stated that there was no difficulty that required a

conference, although he would cheerfully receive the men's agent at any time he chose to call.

On the 5th of August the agent of the employees reported that the management had declined to confer with him on a question of a settlement, and two weeks later he reported further interviews, but that the matter of wages was then in the hands of the board of directors.

Nothing further was heard of the case.

BEEF HANDLERS - BOSTON.

The employees of the following companies engaged in the shipment of meats, Swift Brothers & Co., Cudahy Packing Company, Armour & Co., Nelson Morris & Co. and G. H. Hammond Company, objecting to working with nonunion employees, threatened, on July 28, to strike on the 1st of August.

The parties were immediately interviewed, and the mediation of the Board, with suitable advice, was offered.

Some of the employers did not anticipate any trouble; were willing to confer, if need be, on questions of earnings and conditions under which work should be performed; but they declined to participate in any movement of the union to compel membership therein.

The employees accepted the advice of the Board, and postponed the strike indefinitely.

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The Meat Handlers Protective Union ordered a strike of the employees, to take place on September 3, because of the alleged preference of Armour & Co. for non-union meat handlers.

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