The Glassworkers Strike, Brookfield listed

THE GLASS WORKERS' STRIKE.

Last Wednesday afternoon the rotunda of the Astor House presented an unusually animated scene, caused by the presence of a large number of glass manufacturers from the Eastern States who had been called together to discuss the new situation brought about by the proposed strike of the glass blowers. The discussion was held with closed doors, but there appeared to be no disagreement on the general question before the meeting, as it was afterwards learned that they were a unit on the resolution to refuse all demands of the men, and the probabilities are that the long and dismal fight which lasted for ten months in the Ohio Valley will be repeated in the various factories east of Pittsburgh. In going over a brief memorandum of the results of the various strikes which have occurred in the glass trade, we find that, as a rule, the manufacturers have always made fair propositions to their men before taking the serious and important step of drawing the fires from under their furnaces and closing the factories. Last December, when the glass makers of the Ohio valley objected to a revision of the scale, which revision in the main was to increase the quality of the work, the manufacturers made their proposition to the man and actually offered them better terms then they consented to accept after they had stood out for ten months — a period of lost time that must be a nightmare to every workman among them who has brains enough to think.

Right on the heels of the news pertaining to the strike which is now proposed comes the information that one of the Western window glass factories will resume operations after six months of idleness, but on old prices. A despatch received from the workmen at the New England factories states that they will strike if the National Union orders them out, although they say that they are perfectly satisfied with their present wages. If there is not an error in telegraphy, and its confirmation is to the contrary, it is one of the most curious statements that we have ever read, as it is the abject confession of a set of men who volunteer to serve a term of idleness and suffer the loss of satisfactory wages for an indefinite period simply to swell the number of strikers for the satisfaction of the National Union. It appears that the object of this movement just inaugurated is not a strike against the reduction of wages, but is to secure a decided advance on the prices now paid, and a reduction in the quantity of goods to be made good for count. With characteristic disregard for results they select a time in the season when every factory is busiest on orders and contracts to make a peremptory demand for an increase of wages which some of their own number have declared to be satisfactory. The unreasonableness of the demand, coupled with the fact that the proprietors of factories are just beginning to feel the effect of the general improvement in business, is sufficient cause for the unanimous decision to refuse the entertainment of the propositions made by the workmen. This resolution on the part of the manufacturers may be better appreciated by considering the action of one proprietor in Brooklyn, who has only recently secured a number of important contracts, which if completed, would form the greater portion of his business for this year. Notwithstanding the perspective loss of business, and the possibility of forfeiture in money, this manufacturer has declared his intention of closing his factory before he will consent to pay the increased prices. One and all declare that the present selling prices of flint glass will not admit of any increase in the working scale, and even if the proposition were a fair and reasonable one it would be next to impossible to entertain it favorably. One of the Brooklyn manufacturers is going over the present scale stated that the gaffers, who are now receiving $30 per week, would be advanced $3 by the proposed increase; servitors from $22 to $27.50; foot blower $17 to $19.25; second foot blower from $12 to $16, and so on through the different grades of workmen. He also stated that he employed just the same number of hands that he worked fifteen years ago, but a comparison between the pay rolls of that time and the present show an increase of $600, and that if it were not that glass making materials were so much lower he would not have carried on the business.

Since the above lines were written we have learned that fifteen of the Eastern manufacturers in the flint glass trade are affected by the ordering out of the men by the edict of the National Union. These factories are located in Philadelphia, Port Jervis, Brooklyn, Boston, New Bedford and Meriden, and employ an average of four thousand workmen, only one-third of whom, belong to the National Union. The other two-thirds have not declared themselves to be strikers, but are compelled to relinquish work by the breakup of the teams. It is difficult at this time to determine or predict how long the strike may last, as the unaffected two-thirds may form a majority to oppose the action of the Union on the ground that they are satisfied with the present wages, and that it is a hardship to compel them to remain idle for any length of time during the winter months — a sentiment which many of them have already expressed.