INDUSTRIAL RELATIONS IN NEW YORK, FIRST QUARTER, 1913. Strikes and Lockouts. Forty-four strikes and lockouts were begun during the first three months of 1913, involving averages of 1,800 workmen and 24,000 days of lost time per dispute. The high averages were caused by an unusual proportion of large disputes. Seventeen, nearly 40 per cent of the whole number, produced time losses of more than 2,000 days each. Eight of them involved from 1,394 to 35,000 direct participants and caused losses in working time from 11,000 to 345,000 days per dispute. COMPARATIVE SUMMARY OF DISPUTES, FIRST QUARTER. The comparative table shows that disputes were considerably more frequent than in the first quarter of 1912, when only 31 were recorded, but about equal in frequency to 1911 and 1910, when there were 46 and 42, respectively. The unusual number of large disputes, noted above, caused a great increase in the number of people directly involved. That number was 79,095, more than 16 times as many as last year when there were only 4,821. The number indirectly involved, that is, deprived of employment because of disputes, was only 1,047 this year as compared with 3,997 last year. In time lost, however, the increase in labor disturbances in 1913 was still more notable. The direct participants lost 1,069,375 working days and those thrown out of employment lost 7,363, making a total of 1,076,738, whereas last year the Including both new disputes and earlier disputes which lasted into the quarter. total loss was 103,718, less than one-tenth as much. In addition to the large amount of time lost in the quarter's new disputes, the loss occasioned by strikes of last year which were carried over into the first quarter of this year was the enormous sum of 4,887,238 days, 4,845,900 of which were caused by the strike. of men's clothing workers in New York City which began December 30 and lasted until March 12. That strike, as noted in the March Bulletin, was the largest single dispute in the records of the Bureau of Mediation and Arbitration. The aggregate loss of time during the first quarter of 1913, occasioned by labor disputes, was therefore 5,963,976 working days. Last year the aggregate loss in the first quarter was 131,457 days. Ninety-eight per cent of the time lost through the 44 new disputes of the quarter (which means the elimination of those disputes which began before January 1) was due to the 17 principal disputes listed below. [影]] Dunkirk. Mineville. Yonkers.. Molders.. Mine laborers. Conductors and motormen New York City.. News writers.. New York City.. Kimono makers. Lincoln Park.... Machinists.. Mar. 11-May 3. Jan. 1-15. Jan. 7-Mar. 16.. Jan. 22-29. Feb. 19-26. The largest new dispute of the quarter was that of garment workers in Rochester, involving 9,500 employees and a loss of 345,924 days. In New York City there were five separate strikes of clothing workers, involving from 400 to 35,000 employees in each. Among the principal disputes were also the strikes of cooks and waiters in New York City hotels and restaurants, textile workers in Auburn rope and twine mills, painters, smok To March 31. ing pipe makers, panama hat makers and silk weavers in New York City, radiator molders in Dunkirk, mine laborers at Mineville and street railway conductors and motormen in Yonkers. Half the disputes of the quarter, in which nearly three-fourths the direct participants were involved, were caused by their efforts to advance wages. The next largest number of workmen were involved in sympathetic strikes, including the 9,500 garment workers in Rochester who struck against the alleged manufacture of clothing for New York shops where employees were on strike. Ten trade-union disputes were recorded, involving 3,066 workmen, and two strikes for a shorter work-day, involving 6,894 workmen. Other causes of disputes, involving smaller numbers, were reduction of wages and employment or discharge of particular persons. Most of the disputes affecting large numbers of workmen resulted in their favor or in compromises. The ten disputes won by the workers numbered over 50,000 employees, most of these being engaged in strikes for wage increases among the clothing trades in New York City. The Rochester garment workers, New York white goods workers, Auburn textile workers and Dunkirk molders won compromise settlements. The largest strike won by employers was that of cooks and waiters in New York City. Three disputes were pending on the first of June. State Intervention in Disputes. The Bureau of Mediation and Arbitration intervened in sixteen labor disputes during the months of January, February and March. Conferences of the differing parties were arranged by the Bureau in six disputes, leading to successful adjustments in all but one case. In the Yonkers street railway strike, a public investigation was conducted by the State Board. The Rochester and Auburn disputes were particularly serious and persistent, requiring the continued efforts of the mediators, which finally resulted successfully in both cases. The following table presents a summary of intervention work during the first quarter as compared with the corresponding quarter of previous years. Detailed accounts of the work of the Bureau in the most important cases are given on following pages, preceded by brief notes on the less important ones. Auburn: Textile workers. (See detailed account below.) Binghamton: 140 conductors and motormen on the street railway struck March 6 for reinstatement of discharged men who had been active in union affairs and for increase of wages. Bureau intervened by request of union and held interviews with the parties separately. Strikers were willing to confer or to arbitrate but company refused to arbitrate any question with its employees. Strikers' places were filled with new employees. Dunkirk: Molders. (See detailed account below.) Mineville: Mine laborers. (See detailed account below.) New York City: 8,000 cooks and waiters employed in 50 hotels and restaurants struck January 1 and 24 for increase of wages and recognition of the union. Bureau intervened January 13 and endeavored to bring the parties together in conference but the members of the Hotel Men's Association refused to meet the strikers as members of the Hotel Workers' Union. Strike was declared off January 31 and strikers returned to work. New York City: 38 glove cutters and operators in one factory struck January 28 for discharge of assistant foreman and for increase of wages. Bureau intervened January 31 and made numerous efforts to arrange a conference of both parties to the dispute. The superintendent refused to meet or treat with the strikers' committee but stated there would be no discrimination in their re-employment. Dispute lasted until February 24 when nearly all strikers returned to work. New York City: 400 kimono makers employed in 18 establishments struck January 22 for increase of wages and reduction of hours. Bureau inter vened the following day and arranged conferences on January 28 and 29 between representatives of the manufacturers and the union, also of the American Federation of Labor. As a result, the demands of the strikers were granted and the strike ended. New York City: 46 news writers employed in four Jewish newspaper offices struck January 7 for recognition of the union. Bureau intervened February 6 and tried to arrange a conference but failed as the publishers claimed such a conference would be a recognition of the union. On March 5, at a conference held in Indianapolis attended by Mr. James M. Lynch, president of the International Typographical Union and Mr. H. N. Kellogg of the Publishers' Association, an agreement was signed and all the strikers returned to work March 16. New York City: 350 Panama hat makers employed in 18 shops struck February 25 for "union shop." Bureau intervened February 28, making an effort to arrange a conference of the parties but both sides refused to confer. Strike ended March 26, union claiming to have won in part of the shops, but this was denied by the Manufacturers' Association. New York City: 180 silk weavers and warpers in one establishment struck March 17 in sympathy with strike at Paterson, New Jersey. Bureau intervened March 20 and suggested that a conference be held, but the parties refused to go into conference, as the trouble would have to be adjusted in Paterson first. Dispute was pending June 1. New York City: 150 smoking pipe makers in one factory struck February 5 for discharge of assistant superintendent, afterward adding other demands. Bureau intervened March 10 and arranged a conference on April 3 between employers and strikers' representatives, which failed of settlement. Bureau's representatives advised strike committee to accept proposition offered by firm, which they finally agreed to do and strikers returned to work April 24. New York City: 200 stage employees in three theatres struck February 27 against employment of non-union men in one theatre under the same management. Bureau intervened March 5 and asked the manager of the theatres to meet the union business agent but he refused to do so. On March 24 the stage hands were returned to work, the question of control of the theatre to be investigated. New York City: 6,700 white goods workers employed in 140 establishments struck January 7 for reduction of hours and other demands. Bureau intervened January 20 and on January 28 attended conference arranged by other persons. Strike was settled by further conferences on February 19, hours being reduced as demanded and compromise increase in wages granted. Rochester: Garment workers. (See detailed account below.) Saugerties: 22 machine tenders and others in a paper mill struck March 17 against discharge of an employee who was active in the union, also for increase of wages and reduction of hours. Bureau intervened April 1 by request of union representative and tried to arrange a conference, but the employer refused to meet committee of former employees or treat with them in any manner, stating that they had joined a union and he would not tolerate a union in his mill. Strike was pending June 1. Yonkers: Motormen and conductors. (See detailed account below.) |