to the union and it was understood by both parties that the man would make application to the union for membership and would be accepted. He did so shortly after the agreement was signed and his application was rejected by the union. The union then notified the employer that the man must be discharged. He requested that the matter be arbitrated as provided in the agreement. He felt so secure in the justice of his position that he named the secretary of the local musicians' union as his representative on the arbitration board. The union also appointed a member, but, although both were union men, they could not agree on a third disinterested party to act as referee. The union waited until December 4, 1915, when without previous notice it called its four members employed in the Rex and Lyric theaters on strike. The dispute is still unsettled and the two houses are operated as "open shop" theaters. The wage loss was estimated at $1,260, and the costs to the union at $794, before the men secured other positions. Painters' Strike, Minneapolis-On May 1, 1916, about 300 members of the Minneapolis painters' union struck for an increase of wages of five cents an hour. They were out three days when their demands were granted by the contractors. The wage loss was approximately $3,960, and the costs to the union about $50. Painters' Strike, St. Paul-On April 5, 1916, seventeen painters employed by a Chicago firm, doing work in St. Paul, went on a sympathetic strike with the Chicago painters' union. They were out five days when the contract with the Chicago firm was cancelled and given to a local firm which re-employed the union men. The wage loss was $340. Painters' Strike, St. Paul-On May 1, 1916, the St. Paul painters' union demanded an increase of wages from their employers amounting to five cents an hour. Seven firms, employing 87 men refused to pay the new scale and the men struck. After three days the demands were acceded to by these contractors and the men returned to work. The wage loss was $348. Paving Cutters' Strike, St. Cloud-The paving cutters' union of St. Cloud and Sauk Rapids on May 1, 1916, demanded an increase in the price of cutting paving blocks from $42.50 per thousand to $45 per thousand and struck to enforce the demand. After two weeks the dispute was compromised by accepting an offer of $43.75 a thousand. Fifty members were involved. The wage loss was approximately $2,000, with about $500 in costs to the union. Plasterer Tenders' Strike, Minneapolis-The Minneapolis plasterer tenders' union consummated an agreement in 1914, one of the terms of which promised an increase of twenty cents a day on May 1, 1915. When that day arrived the employers failed to give the agreed raise and the 150 members went on strike. At the end of one week the contractors capitulated. The wage scale is now $3.60 a day for eight hours. The men lost approximately $3,060 in wages during the week's strike. Pressfeeders' Lockout, Minneapolis-On September 8, 1914, the firm of Kimball-Storer Company of Minneapolis locked out its union pressfeeders and pressmen. The controversy was caused by the firm asking the men to permit a violation of the rules of the unions governing the number of men required to handle self-feeding cylinder presses. They offered to pay a higher wage than the union scale if this was permitted. This offer was refused and the men were locked out. The number of employes affected was eighteen male union pressfeeders, seven female non-union pressfeeders, and four union pressmen who refused to work with non-union assistants. The dispute was never settled and the firm is now operating with nonunion help. Shoe Workers' Strike, St. Paul-In October, 1915, the members of United Shoe Workers' local union No. 9 made a demand on the O'Donnell Shoe Company of St. Paul for a nine-hour day at the same rate of wages they were receiving for a ten-hour day. The union reports that the firm offered to arbitrate the question and made a proposition that the firm would select a list of ten names to represent them and the union should select ten names to represent the unions. The firm was to draw one name from among the list of union representatives and the union to draw one from among the firms' list, these two to decide upon a third impartial referee. The union accepted the offer and a committee called on the firm with their list. The firm delayed preparing the list of their own representatives, and during the interim, the union officials claimed, attempted to hire men in other cities. The union then on October 29, declared a strike and 56 employes walked out. They included 21 shoe cutters, 3 lining cutters, 3 trimming cutters, 22 lasters, 2 heelers, 1 welt stitcher, 1 edge trimmer, 1 joiner, and 2 boys who were helping the heelers. The firm succeeded in hiring men to take the places of the strikers, although they were considerably handicapped for some time. Seventeen arrests were made during the time the strike was actively on, of which 11 were strike breakers or sympathizers, and 6 were strikers or sympathizers. Five of the strike breakers were found guilty of assault, disorderly conduct, or disturbing the peace, but none of the strikers were convicted. The strike was officially declared lost in January, 1916. The union has practically disbanded. The men secured work off and on during the active days of the strike and no record of the actual time or wages lost was kept by the officers of the union. This union was not connected with the American Federation of Labor, and did not receive much support, morally or financially, from other unions of the city. Stone Cutters' Strike, Sandstone-Ten members of the Sandstone stone cutters' union struck to enforce a demand for an increase of wages. They were out five and one-half days when the demand was settled by granting an increase of 50 cents a day, making their wage scale $5 a day for eight hours work. The date of the strike was not reported. The wage loss was about $225 and the costs to the union $20. Teamsters' Lockout, Minneapolis-In April, 1916, the teamsters' union of Minneapolis attempted to negotiate a new wage agreement with the Twin City Taxi Cab & Transfer Company. The wages previously had been: drivers, $15 a week; barn men, $12.50 a week; 30 cents per hour for all time over 10 hours and every second Sunday off. The union proposed the following scale: Drivers of 1 and 2 horse rigs, $16.50; drivers of auto trucks less than 3 tons, $16.50; drivers of auto trucks 3 tons or over, $17; helpers on trucks, $16; and barn men, $14 a week. Committees from the union held several conferences with the manager of the company without success and had arranged through him to meet the directors of the company for a conference on the evening of May 3, 1916. On that day, however, the 21 union men employed by the firm were locked out and their places filled with non-union men. The men had offered to arbitrate the dispute, but their proposition was refused. The firm made an offer to some of the strikers to pay the wages demanded by the men, but refused to recognize the union. The wage loss was estimated at $1,290 before the men secured work elsewhere. Teamsters' Strike, St. Paul-In January, 1915, the firm of J. Strane of St. Paul attempted to reduce the wages of its teamsters from $2.75 a day and 20 members of the teamsters' union struck to prevent the reduction. They were out only one day when the firm agreed to pay the union scale. The wage loss was $55. Waitresses' Strike, Minneapolis-On April 29, 1916, two members of the Minneapolis waitresses' union, employed by the San Francisco Cafe, struck because the firm had employed a non-union cook in violation of a promise to employ only union help. They remained out until May 5, when the firm agreed to live up to its former promise. The wage loss was $15 and the union spent about $50 to picket the concern and persuade trade from entering the place. Plasterers' Strike, St. Paul-On September 23, 1915, ten members of the St. Paul plasterers' union employed on the new library building, struck because the business agent of the union was not allowed to go onto the job to attend to union business. The men lost one day when the difficulty was settled by the contractor consenting to his doing so in future. The wage loss at $5 a day each amounted to $50. Bricklayers' Strike, St. Paul-On September 23, 1915, nine members of the St. Paul bricklayers' union, employed on the new library building, struck in sympathy with the stone masons' union and because a union foreman had been discharged and displaced by a non-union foreman. They were out until October 30th when the matter was amicably adjusted. The men received immediate employment elsewhere so there was no wage loss. Stone Masons' Strike, St. Paul-In October, 1915, three members of the St. Paul stone masons' union of St. Paul, employed on the new library building, struck and refused to lay stone that was cut in Tennessee by non-union men. They remained out about five weeks. They lost about $429 in wages. The men were called out on orders from the officers of their national union who settled the dispute with the contractors in the east and ordered the men back to work. The local men were not notified of the terms of settlement. Building Laborers' Strike, Minneapolis-In May, 1916, thirty laborers, employed by the Thompson-Starrett Company on the Soo elevator building at Minneapolis, struck for an increase of wages, although they were receiving more than the then prevailing rate of wages. The demand was refused and their places almost immediately filled. They were unorganized. Hoisting Engineers' Strike, St. Paul-In November, 1915, three members of the St. Paul Hoisting Engineers' union struck in sympathy with the bricklayers' union on the new library building. They were out only one day when the difficulty between the stonemasons and bricklayers was settled. Fur Workers' Strike, St. Paul-The fur workers, composed of four male cutters and twelve female finishers, employed by E. Sundqvist & Company of St. Paul, struck on December 5, 1915, because they claimed the firm had violated its agreement with the union by discharging a man for being active in the union. The strikers were out two weeks when the matter was adjusted. A short time later the firm again violated its agreement. This time the strikers were out four weeks. When the union endeavored to adjust matters the employer claimed the men were incompetent. The union offered to furnish a new crew and matters were adjusted. The foreman admitted the new men were thoroughly competent, "the best he ever had," but shortly afterwards a new foreman was hired who found the men to be incompetent and they were let out. The union claims that the employer wanted to back out of his agreement and run an open shop. The last strike was never settled. The strikers gradually secured work elsewhere, one man being out of work for eleven weeks. Tile Layers' Helpers' Strike, Twin City-On January 1, 1915, the Twin City Tile Layers' Helpers' Union struck for an increase of wages. Fortyfive members were involved. They were out eighteen days when they agreed to a compromise by accepting an increase of 25 cents a day, making the wages $2.75 a day. The wage loss was estimated at $1,800 with about $200 costs to the union. Molders' Strike, Shakopee-Thirty-two molders, employed by the Minnesota Stove Company of Shakopee struck on March 14, 1915, alleging that the firm had not kept its promises to the men. The reasons assigned for the strike were: (1) The suspension of the weekly pay day. (2) Continuance of a system of issuing vouchers for pay checks that could only be cashed at places where the firm dictated instead of paying by negotiable checks. (3) Failure to install a sanitary toilet and bathroom after the men had accepted the following agreement: In May, 1914, the firm agreed to install these facilities if they could retain all wages earned over four days a week from May to October, the firm to issue vouchers for all excess earnings, these to be redeemed before January 1, 1916. (4) The discharge, without cause, of two members of a committee which called on the firm to seek a settlement of the other complaints. The strike was never settled. The firm is operating with non-union men. The strikers left the city in large numbers and twelve that remained started a cooperative stove factory. No record of the time and wages lost could be obtained for this report. |