Jasper County Democrat, Volume 12, Number 102, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 6 April 1910 — LABOR UNION AT BROOK. [ARTICLE]

LABOR UNION AT BROOK.

Terra Cota Factory Employes Go On Strike for Recognition of Union. This week Brook has been treated to a novel thing, and the question of just how serious a matter it may mean, cannot be told at this date. During the latter part of last week a walking or traveling or some other kind of a labor union delegate hove into Brook and proceeded to organize the force at the terra cota into a union. Somewhere in the neighborhood of thirty-five of the working force joined the union. Rumors of a serious nature began to filter through the atmosphere during Supday. The management of the factory finding out what was in the wind, took measures at once to counterbalance the efforts at unionizing, and when the force showed up for work Monday morning the superintendent gave a talk and made known just what the stockholders would and would not do. About thirty-five men walked out without picking up their tools. •As we understand it, both sides are determined on their stand. The company saying that they will close the mill before they will be dictated to as to who they will and will not employ and the manner in which the mill shall run, and will, allow no dictation from any union. On the other hand the men walking out say that the factory must be unionized with union standards and that the products of the factory will not be handled by bther unions and that the railroad unions will not handle the finished products until the union has been established. We understand that the company was willing to payj union scale wages, but they d<» cline to be dictated to or haJf anything to do with unions. Jmt where the matter will end remains yet to be seen.—Brook Reporter. / . . - ——