The Seattle Star Newspaper, January 30, 1919, Page 8

“ THE SEATTLE STAR—THURSDAY, JANUARY 80, 1919 the Members Affiliated With the | Gentlemen: The following letters will show the basis I have outlined for ending the present strike in Tacoma and Seattle by negotiations: Ist: Select a committee of twelve (12) men, three from the Tacoma Metal Trades Council, three from Seattle Metal Trades Council, three business men from Tacoma, and three business men from Seattle. and: The case against the Emergency Fleet Corporation to be prepared immediately, briefed and printed and the committee to proceed to Washington and present the matter to the War Labor Board for adjustment. 3rd: The men out on strike to return to their old jobs immediately. YOU NOW HAVE THE WHOLE CASE BEFORE YOU. IT IS UP TO YOU TO ACT IN A LEGAL, SENSIBLE AND INTELLIGENT WAY BEFITTING LAW ABIDING AMERICAN CITIZENS. Tacoma, Wash.,; Jan. 27, 1919. “Mr. H. P. Johnston, President, and Mr. C. R. Barrett, Secretary, The Met- al Trades Council of Tacoma, Wash.: “My Dear Friends: Referring to the very pleasant conversation I had with you this afternoon, regarding the shipyard strike in Tacoma, in which I am only interested because | am a warm personal friend of a great many of the men on strike, and further as a public-spirited citizen who wishes to further the best interests of this community, I am submitting to you the fol- lowing proposition: “First: We will constitute a committee of, say, six men, three men to be selected by the Metal Trades Council and two men in addition to myself, to be selected from among the business men of Tacoma, this committee of six to proceed to Washington, D. C., and present the case of the Tacoma Metal Trades Council to the Emergency Fleet Corporation, the Macy adjustment board and the labor department. It is understood, however, that this com- mittee, in dealing with the authorities in Washington, is to present only the case of the Metal Trades Council of Tacoma, and that they are not to have anything to do with labor conditions in any other locality. “Second: Pending the selection of this committee and their delibera- tions in Washington, the interests of the Metal Trades Council would best be served by having the men return to work immediately. “T should be very glad if you would submit this proposition to your hon- orable body, and, if satisfactory, we will immediately proceed with the selec- tion of the committee. I have no objection to your honorable body being consulted in the selection of the business men which has been provided for in this letter. “Tt seems to me that this would be the best way to handle the matter. If the committee were unable to get any satisfactory adjustment in Wash- ington, the men would have lost nothing and could then resume the strike if they so decided. Very sincerely yours, O. S. LARSON, “Vice President Scandinavian American Bank.” “Union Repudiates Statement Tacoma, Wash., Jan. 28, 1919. “Home edition of Tacomia Times contains a statement to the effect that if the proposal for mediation submitted to the strike committee by O. S. Larson ‘is adopted by the strikers, it will mean that Tacoma will go about the settlement of its own shipyard labor difficulties independently of Seattle and other points along the Coast.’ “Official Denial “The facts of the situation are: First, that a proposal of the nature as stated above could under no circumstances be entertained by the metal trades, and, further, is not considered; second, the Tacoma Metal ‘Trades Council does not under any condition sanction the men going back to work pending a settlement. “J. SUTTON, “ERLANDSEN, “WOODS, “Press Commitee,” Mr. H. P. Johnston, President; Mr. C. R. Barrett, Secretary, Metal Trades Council of Tacoma, Tacoma, Washington. Dear Friends: On January 27 I directed to you a communication sub- mitting a basis of negotiation for ending immediately the shipyard strike in facoma. I have had no acknowledgment of this communication from you and the first intimation I had of the action of the Metal Trades Council was in a news article printed in the Tacoma Daily Ledger this morning. From the statement contained in this news article, over the signature of the Press Committee, I learn that the proposition was turned down, first, be- cause it was not feasible for the Metal Trades Council of ‘Tacoma to deal in- dependently of Seattle with the authorities in Washington, and, second, that the Metal Trades of ‘Tacoma cannot sanction the men going back pending a settlement. As a supplement to my letter of January 27, I now propose that we in- vite the Metal Trades Council of Seattle, and the business men of Seattle, to join with the Metal Trades Council of Tacoma, with a committee of six, who, in conjunction with our committee, will present the case of both the Seattle Metal Trades Council and the Tacoma Metal Trades Council to the government in Washington. I fail to see any good reason why the members affiliated with the Metal Trades Council should not return to work immediately if this program is agreed to. The continuation of the strike, pending the adjustment, would only mean loss of time to the shipyards, and loss of wages to the men on strike. I also wish to point out to you now that this is a strike directed against the government of the United States and agencies established by that government. The shipyards, as I understand it, have no particular interest in the strike, and it is entirely different from any strike we have had to deal with in the past in that particular. The United States government has nev- er recognized any strike whatever in the past. In order to adjust speedily and with fairness all labor disputes such as the one now under consideration, while the war lasted, the government of the United States established at Washington what is known as the War La- bor Board, this board being composed of equal representation from both the employes and the employer, presided over by a joint chairman represent- ing the government. The case of the Metal Trades Council of Tacoma and Seattle against the Emergency Fleet Corporation should be taken before the War Labor Board for adjustment, and it is well to note in this connection that the decisions heretofore rendered by the War Labor Board have all been very fair and satisfactory to all parties concerned. In conclusion, it is needless to point out to you the loss of time to the yards, and the consequent loss of wages to the men engaged in the strike, and that the present policy will not get us anywhere. The shipyards of Port- land, San Francisco and other Coast ports are humming; so are the ship- yards of the Atlantic coast, the Great Lakes and the Gulf. We can hope for no different treatment here in the Northwest corner of the United States than any other well-governed locality of the country. I admit that the Met- al Trades Council has a case against the Emergency Fleet Corporation, and that case should be prepared by talent equal to the task and presented to the War Labor Board and the Department of Labor, in Washington, in the regular, legal and sensible way. I dare say it is the only way we will ever get any settlement. Let us act quickly on this basis in the interest of our dear ‘Tacoma and the large, intelligent population, and brilliant future we now have before us. Very sincerely yours, O.S. LARSON, Vice President Scandinavian American Bank. Tacoma Metal Trades Council: