Typographical Union Clashes Over Spokane and Tacoma Strikes
A convention of typesetters descends into internal conflict over broken contracts and the legitimacy of recent industrial action in Washington State.
The story, cleaned up
A cleaned-up reading of the newspaper page: spelling and layout repaired, one story lifted off a crowded page. It follows the original closely but it is not a transcription. The original page is below; read it if a detail matters.
The session of the International Typographical Union was delayed for a few minutes this morning until copies of a pamphlet that had been circulated throughout the hall, but which bore no union label imprint, were destroyed. The pamphlet presented the employers' side of the labor controversy at Spokane and Tacoma. During the session, Driscoll addressed the convention and declared the strikes at Seattle and Spokane were inexcusable. He stated that he came before the convention to condemn and criticize President Lynch's action. He warned the union concerning the broken contracts. Lynch referred the charges to the proper committee and asserted that the charges of broken faith were entirely without foundation.
“Driscoll addressed the convention. He declared the strikes at Seattle and Spokane were inexcusable.”
Internal friction between union leadership and rank-and-file organizers is a recurring theme in labor history. This 1903 debate over strikes in Spokane and Tacoma mirrors the modern tensions within labor movements balancing institutional stability with direct action.
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