Miners Stand Firm Against Wage Cuts
Coal miners at Gilman organize against a sudden pay reduction mandated by the company, sparking a potential strike.
The coal miners of the Seattle Coal and Iron Company have decided to strike against a reduction in wages ranging from 10 to 15 percent. The news came as a surprise when a notice was posted at the mine at noon on Wednesday. The miners immediately held a meeting at the Knights of Labor hall and resolved not to accept the cut. J. L. Parker, the superintendent, attempted to justify the reduction by citing the financial stringency of the country and a falling off in the consumption of coal, particularly because shingle mills had shut down. Despite the company's insistence that they would replace the strikers with new men, the miners remained resolute in their refusal to accept the lower pay, which they described as a significant hit to their livelihood.
“Owing to the financial condition of the country the company has been reluctantly compelled to order a reduction, commencing with the president and ending with the oil boy.”
The conflict at the Gilman mine (modern-day Issaquah) illustrates the recurring tension between capital and labor in Washington's extraction industries. This clash over the cost of living and stagnant wages is a mirror to many labor disputes seen in our region a century later.
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