It was with genuine and universal rejoicing when the vote Tuesday afternoon on a compromise submitted to the local union Monday night, had been carried by three to one in favor of acceptance, and the strike was off, which meant the men would return to work at once and both sides of the controversy satisfied and united.
It will be a joyous Christmas for Park City after all notwithstanding the fact that Santa Claus will not be very generous this year, because of lack of funds but it is understood there will be one part-week payday between noon and Christmas day, and even that will gladden the hearts of many of our youngsters, who might otherwise have been left toyless.
The distressing and extended strike was a new epoch for peaceful and progressive Park City. Never before in its history has such a serious labor trouble occurred.
Never before were there street fights between labor factions and never before was it deemed necessary for a hundred or more deputy sheriffs appointed and armed with night sticks for protection in fear of riotous outbreaks between union and non-union miners. The latter proved not necessary, however, and all is well, and our city is again ready to go ahead.
And the earnest prayer is that never again will this happen in our peace-loving community.
To Governor Blood paricularly the people of Park City are deeply indebted for his unceasing efforts to bring about an amicable settlement between the union and the mine operators and it was largely due to his patience and sincere desire for peace and the resumption of work and production from the mines that a settlement was finally reached.
Meanwhile operators had posted notices that men would be reemployed Saturday at 10 a. m. Union pickets were posted at all approaches to thwart the reemployment, and union officials said no Park City workers applied.
Saturday morning early found the local union members out over 400 strong, picketing the lower part of town, and when the valley men, so called, led by the president of the new organization, The Park City District Mine Employes Welfare association, attempted to break through the pickets to register for work, the trouble commenced.
As reported by the Salt Lake papers:
Shortly before 2 p. m. the Wasatch county contingent of 125 men, traveling in an automobile caravan, was sighted on the highway a quarter of a mile from Park City, Union pickets massed at the foot of Main street and Park avenue. Sheriff Adamson and his deputies met the caravan.
The sheriff stopped the caravan before it entered the city and searched the Heber City volunteers for weapons before allowing them to proceed. After determining there were no arms in the group, he allowed the machines to proceed.
The caravan proceeded up lower Park avenue leading to Main street, when it was abruptly confronted by some 400 union pickets, massed tightly in the narrow street. The first automobile was unable to pass. The caravan was stopped.
Immediately the mass of pickets closed in from both sides. Non-union men were snatched from the machines and the two first cars were slightly damaged. Other caravan members alighted from the cars, to be met with the flying fists of the union men, and to suffer bruised and bleeding heads and faces.
It is reported that a score of persons were beaten and brused. The battle raged for 20 minutes or so. Sheriff Adamson and his deputies being unable to stop the fracas, the valley men were completely defeated and returned from whence they came.
After quite had been restored the county commission met in special session to consider the situation, and to provide ways and means to stop further rioting, and to see that men seeking work be protected from violence.
Present at this meeting were Adjutant General W. G. Williams, Major H. A. Rich, judge advocate of the Utah national guard, and Colonel Hamilton Gardner, commander of the 222nd field artillery, a unit of the national guard. County Commissioners Ed J. McPolin of Park City and E. A. Lemon of Marion.
Sheriff Adamson was quite severely condemned, but upon investigation it was learned it was misplaced confidence in some of the pickets, rather than inefficiency on his part.
To His Excellency Henry H. Blood, governor. | |
Honorable Members of the Industrial Commission of Utah, | |
Mr. Scott Smith, president Park City Mine and mill Workers union No. 99, International Union of Mine, mill and Smelter Workers, and members of negotiating committee, Local No. 99, Park City, Utah, | |
Employes of undersigned companies. |
Sirs: | |
To eliminate all possibilities of misunderstanding respecting the attitude of the undersigned companies in this strike, be advised as follows: Confirming our announcement of November 11, 1936, we will increase the daily wage twenty-five cents (25c) above the scale prevailing October 9, 1936. In reemploying men, no discrimination will be shown against any employe because of participation in this strike or in union activities, nor will the managements impose medical examination for the purpose of using it against men on strike. Further confirming our previous letter, we will continue our efforts to discover the possibilities of basing the wage scale of the future upon the price of metals, of using any other recognized index that may contribute to the solution of the problem. |
Very truly yours, | |
Silver King Coalition Mines company, by James Ivers, general manager, | |
Park Utah Consolidated mines company, by O. N. Friendly, general manager, | |
Park City Consolidated Mines company, by G. W. Wiles, general manager. |
As a result of conferences between ourselves and Geovernor Blood, said Reid Robinson, president of the International Union of Mine, Mill and Smelter Workers, who in turn conferred with operators, we have agreed upon another tentative proposal which the negotiating committee of Park City local No. 99 will submit to the membership at a meeting in Park City Tuesday at 9 a. m. in the Elks hall.
Negotiators for the miners included Mr. Robinson, Ora L. Wilson and Glenn Gillespie, international board members; H. L. Miles district secretary; Glenn Freeman, district board member; Scott F. Smith, president of Park City local No. 99; Charles Snow Sr., vice president; Tom P. Costas, secretary, and Henry Thielke, a member of the negotiating committee.
The governor was assisted in his day-long work as mediator by W. M. Knerr, chairman of the state industrial commission, and W. H. Rogers, conciliator for the United States department of labor.
The proposition was discussed pro and con until noon, and a decision reached to open the polls for boting from 1 p. m. to 7 p. m.
By 8 p. m. Tuesday, the result of the vote was announced and joy reigned supreme, where for nearly ten weeks gloom and uncertainty and strife had kept the pupulace on edge.
The proposition voted on Tuesday was practically the same as the one voted upon last Friday the only difference being that the proposition made clear that all men employed by the mines October 9th, the time the strike began, will be given preference in reemployment before other miners may be hired.
[ ] never see the day when the emergency ever arises in Summit county.
The most serious injury suffered in last Saturdays scuffle was a broken arm for one of the sons of a striking miner.
Last nights Deseret News had pictures of the happy crowd of miners waiting their turn to again get on the pay-rolls of the Silver King Coalition and the Park Utah offices, with big, smiling Bill Moulding, on the cage ready to be lowered for work. He told the photographer: It feels mighty good to have the miners cap on my head again.
It was a rather unusual, pretty and cheering sight Wednesday afternoon to see the eighteen or twenty horses being leisurely driven up Main street to be lowered underground to do their bit in the development of the great Park Utah property.
And in conclusion now all together, miners, merchants, bankers, printers, city officials, women auxiliaries and all residents for a greater, better and ever herafter a peaceful, happier Park City.