Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor

COMPULSORY INDUSTRIAL DISPUTES INVESTIGATION ACT OF COLORADOSource: Monthly Review of the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Vol. 1, No. 6 (DECEMBER,1915), pp. 10-12Published by: Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of LaborStable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/41822874 .

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10 MONTHLY REVIEW OF THE BUREAU OF LABOR STATISTICS.

NUMBER OF LOCKOUTS BY CAUSES, JULY TO OCTOBER, 1915.

Cause. July. August. October. Total.

Agreement 2 1 1 4 Conditions 1 1 2 Organization 1 1 1 1 4 Recognition 2 2 Miscellaneous 3 1 3 3 10

Total 6 4 7 5 22

From these tables it appears that in nearly 80 per cent of the strikes the question of wages or hours was involved.

The distribution among the more important occupations was as follows : NUMBER OF STRIKES AND LOCKOUTS IN SPECIFIED OCCUPATIONS, BY MONTHS,

JULY TO OCTOBER, 1915.

Strikes. Lockouts. Occupation. Total.

t1i1v Au- Sep- Octo- j i * Au- Sep- Octo- gust, tem ber. ber. j * ' gust, tember. ber.

Bakers 11 1221 22 12 Brewery workers 1 2 1 4 Building trades 11 11 16 5 1 1 45 Clothing 5 19 9 1 34 Chemical workers 1 2 1 1 5 Coopers 3 3 Furniture workers 2 2 3 4 11 Iron and steel workers 4 3 3 2 12 Laborers 3 4 2 9 Laundry workers 1 2 3 Longshoremen 1 6 7 Metalworkers 19 34 43 41 2 2 4 3 148 Miners 8 3 2 2 15 Moving-picture operators 1 1 1 1 1 5 Paper makers 5 5 Printers 1 1 1 3 Railroad workers 1 3 11 3 18 Rubber workers 1 2 2 1 6 Street-railway employees 2 3 3 1 9 Teamsters 14 5 1 11 Textile workers 5 9 6 5 1 26 Miscellaneous 18 24 21 11 1 1 1 77 Total 89 130 i 140 I F3 5 6 8 7! 408

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COMPULSORY INDUSTRIAL DISPUTES INVESTIGATION ACT OF COLORADO.

The Legislature of Colorado at its session this year enacted a law embodying provisions relative to labor disputes that differs from any other existing legislation in this country, resembling in several respects the well-known Canadian Industrial Disputes Act.

The act in question is chapter 180, Acts of 1915, creating an indus- trial commission with a wide range of powers. Among the duties of the commission is that of doing all in its power to promote the voluntary adjustment of labor disputes, with a view to avoid "the necessity of resorting to strikes, lockouts, boycotts, blacklists, dis-

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MONTHLY REVIEW OP THE BUREAU OF LABOR STATISTICS. 11

criminations and legal proceedings in matters of employment." The commission may act directly, or it may appoint temporary boards of arbitration, providing also for their necessary expenses. Hear- ings and investigations may be conducted by the commission or a board, deputy, agent or committee, and findings, orders, awards, or decisions, when approved and confirmed by the commission, are to be deemed the conclusions of the commission. Power to enforce the attendance of witnesses, administer oaths, require the production of books, papers, etc., is conferred on the commission, or a board ap- pointed by it, to the same extent as such power is vested in a court of record in civil cases. Parties to proceedings may be compelled to give evidence as witnesses, and evidence is not restricted to that of a strictly legal nature, but such as seems fit in equity and good conscience may be accepted.

Employers and employees must give at least 30 days' notice of any intended change affecting conditions of employment as regards wages or hours. If an investigation has been begun, and until the dispute has been finally dealt with by the commission or board, the existing status must be maintained, and the relationship of employer and employee continued " uninterrupted by the dispute or anything arising out of the dispute." Any attempt at delay in order to main- tain a continuation of the status is punishable as a misdemeanor. It is also made unlawful for any employer to declare or cause a lock- out, or for any employee to go on strike, on account of any dispute, prior to or during an investigation, hearing or arbitration of such dispute under the provisions of the act. Suspension or discontinu- ance of any industry or of work for any employer not constituting a lockout or a strike is not forbidden; nor does the cessation of operations in any industry not affected with a public interest come within the prohibition of the act. Employers may declare lockouts and employees may strike without violating the statute if thev choose to do so after a dispute has been duly investigated, heard or arbitrated under the provisions of the act.

Determination by the commission or a board are binding only when the parties to a dispute have either agreed in writing prior to action that they will abide by the conclusions reached, or have accepted the action of the commission or board after the same has been made known to them. Penalties are provided for violations of the act by employers or by employees, as well as by any person who incites, encourages or aids in any manner acts by either em- ployers or employees in contravention of the provisions of the statute.

Awards and findings in regard to labor disputes are within the general provisions of the act as to rehea rings on points objected to,

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12 MONTHLY REVIEW OF THE BUREAU OF LABOR STATISTICS.

and appeals to courts. Such appeals lie to procure the modification or vacation of any order or ruling made, on the ground that it is un- lawful or unreasonable, and such actions take precedence in time over all civil cases of a different nature. The only grounds upon which the court can act are that the commission acted without or in excess of its powers ; that the finding, order, or award was procured by fraud ; that the findings of fact by the commission do not support the order or award; or that the award does not do substantial justice to the parties. If further objection is made, the matter may be brought before the Supreme Court on a writ of error for a final re- view of the order or judgment.

The effect of the act is, in brief, to furnish a compulsory system of investigation, requiring the continuance of the status pending such action, whether applied for or not, no act in furtherance of a dispute being permissible by either party until the matter has been gone into by an official body.

COLORADO FUEL & IRON CO. INDUSTRIAL REPRESENTA- TION PLAN.

The Colorado Fuel & Iron Co. recently outlined and submitted to its employees a plan for the settlement of industrial disputes between the company and its employees and for regulating conditions of employ- ment. This plan of representation is probably the outcome of the re- cent troubles and disturbances which have occurred in Colorado among the employees of that company, running over a period of a few years past. The plan is termed an agreement between the company and its employees, and was submitted to their vote for ratification. It was first submitted for consideration at a joint conference in Pueblo, October 2, which was attended by the representatives of the employees from each camp and by the company's officers and superin- tendents. The conference approved the plan and recommended its adoption by the employees and by the board of directors of the com- pany. It was formally voted upon by secret ballot at the various camps between October 4 and 25. Seventy-three per cent of the average working force at the mines and coke ovens actually voted on the plan, according to the statement of the Colorado Fuel & Iron Industrial Bulletin, to be published by the company quarterly in pursuance of the plan in question. Of the votes cast 84.47 per cent were in favor of both the plan and agreement relating to working conditions. This would be substantially equivalent to its positive ac- ceptance by (>1 per cent of the total average working force, while 12 per cent directly opposed it and 27 per cent expressed no opinion by refraining from voting.

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