The Labor enquirer., 1884-08-16
A Shameless Violation Of the.
Promises Made TO the
Men Last May.
The Road Picketed by the Strikers
for the Protection Of Com
pany Property.
"A Definite Settlement Wanted.

quickly QlQ Lne company surrender Wnen
the men showed such unanimity and
determination, that it was marvel even
to the initiated; and everyone who gave
any thought to the subject concluded, as
firmly as conclusions can be made in ad-
vance, that the surrender was only tenn
porary, and merely intended asa ruse to
allow time for the plans to be changed
and more successful scheme to be de-
yised. 1t was announced in the public
prints that the company had not aban-
doned the idea of reducing the pay Of
the men, but that at the next attempt
the safer plan of reducing one point at a
time, or one department, would be tried.
These surmises proved correct, but with
what success the company worked the
scheme will not be known until the ter
mination of the strike which was inaug-
urated all over the Union Pacific at noon
on Wednesday last, and which is pend
ing at this writing.
Since the May affair the road has been
well organized, and so quietly and thor
oughly was the work of organizing done,
that the officials were more surprised on
Wednesday last than they were on the
first day of May. 81.
The cause of the present strike and the
present situation can be stated about as
follows: The men in charge ofthe shops
at the various prominent points began,
about eight weeks ago, to carry out the
programme evidently agreed upon at
some points the forces were reduced, the
highest-prlced men being laid off; at
others they were notified of a reduction
in wages. At the points where notice Of
reduction was given it was objected to
rather strongly, and in nearly every in
stance the notice was withdrawn. In
Denver the plan of laying off men was
inaugurated. AS soon as the matter be-
came plain to the Denver employees, they
sent committee to those in charge to
protest against any further discharge Of
men, and requested that from that time
if it became necessary to reduce ex.
penses, the hours of work be reduced and
not the force, the employees signifying q
willingness to work on half time, if nee
essarY, in preference to having some
thrown entirely out of work, The
"bosses" agreed to this suggestion, and
promised to so act thereafter.
On last Monday, in direct violation Of
the promise made, twenty of the men
employed in and about the tx. P" shops
were discharged without moments no.
tice, or any consultation with reference
to reduction of the hours of labor. A
short time prior to thus move in Denver
intelligence was received from Ellis tc
the effect that a reduction had been or.
dered in the wages of fifteen men at that
place. After consultation, by delegates
telegraph aud otherwise portion o.
which was had sometime before the dis
charge in the "K. P."' shops of this city
1T was decided that the time had ar,
rived to object to any further proceed.
ings of that nature, and the authorities
constituted by the action of the different
societies on the road were instructed te
order strike to take place at noon on
Wednesday. IL.
The order was accordingly issued, and
the result was that every shop of any
consequence ON the Union Pacific and
its branches was empty when the whistle
blew at o'clock p. m. August 49,. Some
one or two points were little slow to
act, owing to a lack of explicit lnforma-
ton as to the order and the hour, but the
delays were slight and did not retard the
general movement.
The men are determined, yet quiet and
rational, and they are not disposed to
again be bamboozled as they were by
the abundant promises made IN May
That they will win this time there can
be no doubt, and they will do it without
making any noisy or threatening dem
onstrations. Such, at least, is the OK in
ion of THE ENQUIRER.
There seems to be question among a
great many employees as to whether the
manager and heads OF departments at
Omaha know of all the moves made by
their subordinates along the road, and
the men feel satisfied that an equitable
and lasting arrangement can be made il
conference is had with the superiors,
and in accordance with that view, all
future arrangements will be made with
head officials.
KANSAS CRY, August 14.-In accord
ance with orders which were received
from Omaha, the Union Pacific shops at