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Show WORKERS II ESS PLfflTlLK IT Fourteen Employees Quit at Ogden When Wage Increase Is Refused. Special to The Tribune. OGDE.V, Aug. 27. Fourteen men employed em-ployed in the gas plant of the Utah Power & Light company quit work at 3 o'clock this afternoon, when the company refused to grant an increase of wages at this time. When the men walked out the company secured other men to take the places or the strikers. The fourteen men who quit are unorganized. The demands of the men for an increase in wages is said to have been presented some time ago by a committee representing represent-ing the strikers. Several conferences were heid, and at one held yesterday afternoon, after-noon, the company officials stated tonight, to-night, the men were asked to withhold their demands until the increased wages for the other employees were considered. It is said the men refused this and are said to have quit. - The company announced that it anticipated antici-pated ,no trouble in maintaining the gas service with the force of men It has j put to work at the plant. Yage increases amounting to 133 per , cent during the past three years and other oth-er heavy advances in the cost of produc- , ing gas were given 'by A. P. Merrill, di-: vision manager of the Utah Power & Light company, at a meeting with the gas plant employees as the reason for the company's inability to meet a request for further wage increases at this time. "The Utah Power & Light company has ! consistently recognized that the cost of ' living has made necessary increases in wages during the past three vears." said Mr. Merrill. "And you will find that during dur-ing this period the rate of wage advances granted to the gas plant employees has been more than proportionate to the rate of increase in the cost of living. "January 1, 1916, the gas plant employees em-ployees vere recei ing 23 cents an hour, j with a twelve-hour day. As the result of ; several successive increases since that time they are now receiving $120 a month for an elht-hour day, time and a half for overtime, two weeks' vacation and two weeks' sick leave on full pay every year. "Figured on a yearly basis, this means that they are now receiving o.l1- cents an hour, as compared with 23 cents an hour, or an increase of 133 per cent. "The various increases since January 1, 1916, are as follows: On that date the men were receiving $2.76 a day for twelve hours. June 1, 1916, the day was decreased to eight hours, with the same pay. July 8, 1917, the pav was increased to $3 a day, and on April 1, 1918, to $3.30. It was at this time that time and a half for overtime, two weeks" vacation and two weeks' sick leave on full pay were granted. The last increase was made August 1, 1918, when the pay was made $120 a month. "The decrease in the working dny has , made necessary a larger force of men, ! which, taken with the increases in wages, j has made a tremendous advance in the cost of labor at the plant. On top of this ' have come increases in every item of cost j connected with the manufacture of gas." |