St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1886-10-19
HISTORY OF THE STRIKE.

How the Demands of the Switch
mem Were Made..ActiOn OF the
Railroad officials.
The strike of the switchmen at Mime
apolis, which began in the middle of last
week. has heeD laid before the public in
the shape of information coming from the
men on the one side, and the railroad
authorities on the other, and as the in
formation differs in essential features, a
misapprehensiOn exists i'll certain quarters.
A point at issue is whether the men gave
reasonable notification of their demand for
an increased rate of wages. 1t was
decided some weeks ago by the switch
r1en that their pay was not
sufficient for the work and was less than
was paid for the same work elsewhere. The
matter was canvassed in their union and
then laid before the Trades and Labor As
sembly, the decision being in the end to
ask the following: An advance of SIS per
month (of twenty-siX days. to each night
foreman of the switchmen and their
helpers, and to each day foreman
and their helpers an advance of
$40 per month of twenty-SiX days;
all extra time over twenty-six days
in the month. to be paid prOportionately TO
the wages they shall receive as adjusted.
Also, that yardmasters be required to re-
port all extra time. DIS the
GREATER PART OF THEM,
through Over-ZealOusneSS fail to give the
Bwitchmen their extra time earned. This
demand was made by the commit
tee of the Trades assembly in writ
ing, alter the committee had personally
visited and notified the superin-
tendents. The SWitchmens' Mutual
Aid association then sent each
company a letter to the same effect.
saying a strike would take place if the adj
vance was not granted. The men said they
could not make personal and direct ap-
peal, for the reason that the men making it
would be black-listed and discharged. The
notification by the Trades assembly was
made on Oct. 4, and the committee notified
the superintendent two weeks before that
time. To these demands the companies
made no response and when the strike was
ordered the managers said they had received
no demand for an advance and did not
know what the men wanted. By this they
meant they did not recognize trades unions
and they deal only with their own en-
plOyes. The strike progressed until Mayor
AmeS in accordance with the spirit of the
times requested settlement by arbitration,
which was rejected by the managers on the
ground that they had
DISCHARGED THE STRIKERS,
and could not arbtrate with men not in
their employ. They say why did not the
men propose arbitration before striking, to
which the men say, why did not the COM
panies answer yes or no TO our request?
Why was it ignored entirely? This is pre-
ciSely the history of the strike in Minneap-
oils as reported by the parties to it. There
is feature in connection with it which
cannot be omitted or ignored. Coming as
it does on the eve of an important
state election, it has carefully been
connected with politics by those
who hope to twist it to the disadvantage of
Mayor Ames. Instead of receiving the
united support of good citizens in trying
moment, he is harraSSed and embarrassed
by those not interested in maintaining Or
der and in securing peaceful solution of
the difficulty. Misrepresentation have
been made by the Republican papers. The
condition of affairs has been
grossly exaggerated all for the pur-
pose of inducing the people to
believe that the city was at the mercy of
lawless men. and that Mayor Ames, as its
chief executive, refused to furnish adequate
protection to the lives and property of citi-
zens. That this has been done for political
effect is obvious. and that selfish aims and
the schemes of political, tricksters should in
tervene to the injury of the business and
welfare of the CITY is greatly regretted.