Omaha daily bee., 1884-08-20
BOGI,S TNIONTSlL.

union and this paper has been revived by
the attempt to burn down this office, it
is timely to review the inconsistency and
fragrant violations OF union rules and
principles by these typographers. One
of the fundamental rules of every me-
chanic's union is that only members of
the union are permitted to work side by
side in any establishment or under any
employer. This is true Of the brick
layers, the plasterers, %tailors, moulders,
and other craftsmen. Another rule 10
that only a certain number of APP
prentices are allowed in each concern
employing union mechanics, and
only skilled mechanics are allowed, after
a full period of apprenticeship, as master
workmen. Every union has a scale of
prices below which no member is allowed
to work.
The international typographical union
and all the subordinate unions are re-
quired to observe these regulations strict
ly, and only in extraordinary emergen-
cies is a suspension of the rules allowed
and that only temporary. Now it is no
%torious that for a number of years the
Omaha typographical union has allowed
union ana non-union men to work in the
same newspaper office side by side. To-
day there are union and non-union men
in the Herald and Republican Offices,
Just as there we're in THE BEE office be-
fore the late strike, and as there are now
Why then do these printers want to dis
criminate against this Office which has
been maintained for years nearer to union
rules and regulations than any Office in
this city? 1t was in this Office that the
union was re-organized and OBJ
tanned its strongest foot-hold.
THE BEE has never used plates,
except during the last strike. 1t is not
using plates now, while all the other dali
les have used plates right along, and by
submitting to the use of the plates the
rules of the union have been violated and
abrogated.
Because this paper has Supported la
Dor in every vital issue during the past
ten years, and because it has given u
helping hand to labor on every possible
occasion, and supported the workingmen
in their political struggles, as well as
against the aggression of capital, the
printers have imagined that they could
impose upon their friends and exact from
us what they would not demand from
any other office. The printers scale of
prices two years agowas 33 centsperthou.
sand for night work, and 80 cents for day
composition. We are now paying 81
cents for night work, and the Republi-
can and Herald are paying 80 cents.
We are paying 81 cents for day work,
while the printers only demanded 80.
In addition to all this we have reduced
the quantity of bourgeois type, to which
type objection was raised, and
have ''fattened" the paper by
adding large quantity of
minion type in which our telegraph re-
port is now set, together with a large
amount of miscellaneous matter. THE
BEE is, without doubt, as 'phat" a paper
as there is in Omaha, and we believe it
to be the latest. What consistency or
decency, therefore, is there in calling our
prices ''scab" wages when we pay more
than the other papers, and furthermore
when We do not discriminate against
union menu Union mon who want to
work In this Office are allowed to do 80,
under a permit from the union, and then
they are ordered out by the union. Why,
if we are paying ''scab" wages, does the
union allow its members to work here at
all2 The effect of all these Inconsistencies
is to thoroughly demoralize and degrade
the union, not only among its own re-
spectacle members but among all other
unions of the different trades. There is
not a union Office in Omaha, and has not
been for years. The BEE has been the
nearest approach to a union office, and is
to-day.
The Omaha union is a bastard union,
and violates its own regulations.
1t has no standard scale of prices, and
allows its members to accept wages below
the lowest scale. 1t does not restrict
apprenticeship, and has admitted to
membership boys and men who are ut
terly incompetent, and who have had
only from six months to two years ex-
perience, whereas it is generally sup.
posed that four years experience is re-
quired to make a competent printer.
The Union pretends to have only respect
able and orderly members, but it has ad.
mitted tramps, Migrants, drunkards, and
all sorts of outlaws. The union pretends
that the work of its members is better
than that of anybody else, but every
FRAT" in Omaha would be admitted in
ten minutes to the union, if he were
willing to join, and t%hereupon he would
Immediately become a first class work.
man. Admission to the union, 1t seems,
makes the competent workmen, and