DISPUTE IN BOOT TRADE. GARRETT BROTHERS' EMPLOYEES DISOBEY THE UNION. Auckland, August 27,

Te Aroha News, Volume VI, Issue 295, 1 September 1888, Page 3

DISPUTE IN BOOT TRADE.

GARRETT BROTHERS' EMPLOYEES DISOBEY THE UNION. Auckland, August 27,

Thk members of the Operative Bootmakers' Union who were "called" out of Garrett Bros.' factory afc noon on iSaburday returned to work to-day, declining to comply with the mandate of the Union. A .special meeting ot the Operative Union is convened lor tomorrow evening, when it \v lll be decided what steps shall be taken iv the matter. Tho Union is in this .difficulty. The Masters' Apsocialton includes some ten or moie factories, the owners of which havo signed a statement, which binds them to a certain scale of pay, and to certain regulations controlling the employment oi apprentice* and improvers. , GaiTblb Bros, do not belong to the Masters' Association, and tho latter allege that Gariett Bros, are permitted to have an unfair advantage in giving employment to a large number ot boys and improvers. Tmproveib — that i» to bay youths or men who are neither ordinal y apprentices nor men receiving full pay— aie not, wo understand, lecognibed by the Operative Association, and this is one cause of guevance in the present dispute. This firm employs amongst its hand.s eight membeis of the Operative Union, some of whom aie employed on piecework at the full Union late, and some on weekly waged, and it would appour that they aio peitectly sa'infied with their treatment at the hands of the iirm, and theivfoie decline to throw up their situation?. The pie?enb tioublc, as v'C stated on (Saturday, originated with the Mastcis' Association, the lneiubci* uf which complain that Gawetb Bros. h:ne not been made to conioim to the agiecnieti& upon which the previous strike was settled. Tlie Masters' Association thoieforo leprcfconted to the Operative Association that they could not continue to adhcio to tins agreement if Ganett Bios, were not put on the t-amo footing. The Seciettiry ot the Opoiativc Union then wiote to Gauett Bros, asking them to supply luioimatu.n as to tho number oi appienbices tiiey employed, their names, and tho dates on which their times expiied. He asked that thih should be furnished within a certain time, and the lequest was, not complied with. A meeting ol the Operative Union was held on Thursday evening last, and a resolution was passed to the effect that Mes->is Ganetl Bios, he requeued to sign the statement previously lefeircd to, and also to leguIdte the employment ol boys, accoiding to the Union inlet-, as lecognibed by the Maatcro' Association. Tho Secretary iorwaided tins rc-olution in due course, and also waited on one of the membeis of the firm on Fiidav morninglast. Ho was informed that the requests of the Union would nob bo complied with, and thereupon a notice was sened on the members of the Union employed by Gaireib B10&. Those who were employed on piccewoik ueie callel out at noon on Saturday, and tho^c receiving weekly wages as eie directed to give a weekV notice. The men included in this notice held a mceLmg on Saturday afternoon at the factory, and the lesult was that all of them leturned to work thi-5 morning. The wages men gave no week's notice as lequested, and piaetically put the Union at defiance. A Staji reporter interviewed one of the men this morning, but in view of the complications likely to arise no expression ot opinion as to tbc merits of the dispute could be obtained in that quarter. The Committee of the Opera 1 ive Union deny the asseition made by Garrett Bros, that the present difficulty has been caused solely by trade jealousy. They asseit, on the contraiy, that thegiic\ance is an old one between the inasteis and men, which was presumed to have been settled with the stiike which tock place two or three yearn ngo. One cause for dissatisfaction then was that the pcale of wages adopted by the difleieni iactoiiet, was unfair to certain branches ot the trade ; iini^heis. for instance, bein?; able to make -£3 pel week, wheieas bench hands only averaged about 3(K In older to settle the Miike and to regulate tho prices for work, a, statement was diawti up anrl agiced to by the j\Jas(ois' Association. Gunctt Biot. did not sign the statement, but the Union undei-.tood that they weie pieptued to agree to whatever cournov. a-5 adopted by the .Masters' Association. The latter no>v complain that they have not done .so. The Opeiativqs' Association, which include < some 150 membeis, have taken the mabtev up, and have done what they could to assist the Mailer- A>oumbion. Garrett Bros, deny ♦hub they employ moie boy labour than other faclor.es and state that they pay the full Union lates to their men, bub they decline to accede to the terms of ihe Union, and while the Union members in their employ decline to come out, things, arc practically at a standstill. I