Democratic Sentinel, Volume 11, Number 50, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 6 January 1888 — STRIKES AND LOCKOUTS. [ARTICLE]

STRIKES AND LOCKOUTS.

Annnal Report of Carroll D. Wright, Chief of the Bureau of Labor. Details of Industrial Troubles Occurring in the United States for Six Tears. Vast Sums of Money Lost by Both Employer and Employe—Success and Failures. [Washington special.] Commissioner Carroll D. Wright has submitted to the Secretary of the Interior the third annual report of the Bureau of Labor, which relates entirely to strikes and lockouts for the period of six years ended Dec. 31, 1886. The report is regarded as of special importance, as it is the result of the first general investigation ever made by aDy nation of the facts concerning strikes and lockouts for any extended period of lime or for any wide extent of territory. The report covers about 700 printed pages, and gives the details of each strike and lockout occurring in the United States during the period named. It exhibits the facts belonging to each industrial trouble for each locality where trouble was found, without attempting to establish or decide the connection between them. The following table shows the number of strikes occurring during each of the last six years, and the number of establishments involved.

Concerns Year. Strikes, involved. 1881 471 2,928 1882..... 454 2,105 1883 .- 478 2,759 1884 443 2,307 1885 645 2,285 1886 1,412 9,893 Totals 3,903 22,336 In 1887, the report says, there were, according to the best information obtainable, 853 strikes, details of which are not available. The report shows that during the six years covered by the investigation, New York had the largest number of establishments affected both by strikes and lockouts., there being for the former 9,247 and for the latter 1,528. The building trades furnished 6,060 of the total number of establishments engaged in strikes. The total number of employes involved in the whole number of strikes for the entire period is shown to have been 1,318,624. The number of employes originating the strikes was 1,020,832. The number of employes in all establishments before the strikes occurred was 1,662,045, while the whole number employed in the establishments involved after the strikes was 1,636,247—a loss of 25,798. There were 103,038 new employes engaged after the strikes, and 37,483 were brought from other places than those in which the strikes occurred. In 2,182 establishments ‘lockouts were ordered during the period named. In these there were 173,995 employes before the lockouts occurred and 169,436 after the lockouts, while the number actually locked out was 159,548. There were 13,976 new employes secured at the close of the lockouts, and 5,682 were brought from other places than those in which the lockouts occurred.

“It should be remembered, however,” says the report, “that these figures do not represent the actual number of individual establishments, or different employes engaged, as in many cases there have been two or more strikes or lockouts affecting the same establishment in the same year. In such cases the establishment and the number of employes engaged are duplicated.” Of the whole number of employes involved in strikes during the six years covered by the report, 88.56 percent, were males and 11.44 per cent, were females. Of those involved in lookouts during the same period 68.78 per cent, were males and 31.22 per cent, were females. An examination of the tables appended to the report shows that New York, Pennsylvania, Massachusetts, Ohio, and Illinois represent 74.74 per cent, of the whole number of establishments affected by strikes throughout the country, and 90.80 per cent of the lockouts. These five States,it is stated, contain 49 per cent, of all the manufacturing establishments, and employ 58 per cent, of the capital involved m mercantile industries of the United States. Of the 22,336 establishments in which strikes occurred 18,342, or 82.12 per cent, of the whole strikes, were ordered by labor organizations, while of the 2,182 establishments in which lockouts occurred 1,753, or 80.34 per cent., were ordered by combinations of managers. Of the whole number of establishments subjected to strikes, there were temporarily closed for business 13,433, or 60.19 per cent.; on account of lockouts, 62.60 per cent. The average duration of stoppage on account of strikes was 23.1 days, and for lockouts 28 days. The results of the strikes, so far as gaining the objects sought are concerned, are shown to be as follows: Success followed in 1,047 cases, or 46.59 per cent, of the whole; partial success in 3,004, or 13.45 per cent, of the whole; and failure followed in 8,910 cases, or 39.89 per cent, of the whole. - By lockouts 564 establishments* or 25.85 per cent, of the whole, succeeded in gaining their points; 190, or 8.71 per cent., partly succeeded, and 1,305, or 59.80 per cent, failed. As to causes or objecis of strikes, it is shown that increase of wages was the principal one, 42.44 per cent. The other leading causes are given as follows: For reduction of hours, 19.45 per cent.; against reduction of wages, 7.75 per cent.; for increase of wages and reduction of hours, 7.57 per cent.; against increase of hours, 10.62 per cent.; total for the five leading causes, 77.83 per cent. All other causes, 22.17 per cent. Disclaiming absolute accuracy, the report gives the losses of employes and employers resulting from strikes and lockouts as follows: Losses to strikers during the six years covered by the investigations, $51,816,165. Loss to employes through lockouts for the same period, $8,132,717, or a total wage loss to employes of $59,948,882. This loss occurred for both strikes and lookouts in 24,518 establishments, or on an average loss of $2,445 to each establishment, or of nearly S4O to each striker involved. The assistance given to strikers during the same period, so far as ascertainable, amounts to $3,325,057; to those suffering from lockouts, $1,105,538, or a total of $4,430,595. These amounts, however, the Commissioner says, are undoubtedly too low. The employers’ losses* through strikes for the six years amounted to $30,-

732,653; through lockouts, $3,342,261, or a. total loss to the establishments involved of $34,164,914. The appended tables also show that the chief harden of strikes was borne by thirteen industries, viz.: Boots and shoes, 352 establishments; brick-making, 478; building trades, 6,060; clothing, 1,728; cooperage, 484; food preparations, 1,419; furniture, 491; lumber, 395; metals and metallic goods, 1,585; mining, 2,060; stone, 468; tobacco, 1,929; transportation, 1,478. These represent 89.35 per cent, of the whole number subjected to Btrikes. In lockouts five trades bore 80 per cent, of the whole burden, as follows: Boots and shoes, 155 establishments; bnilding trades, 531; clothing, 273; metal and metallic goods, 76; and tobacco, 226; or & total of 1,761.