Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1890-04-29
RUNNINGTHEIR ROAD.
Pleasant Valley Employees Discharged
for Joining the K. of L.
THE OFFICIALS WANT NO UNION.
A Settlement of the Railway Trouble May
be Reached To-Day.
J. NJ. KELLY LEAVES LABOR CIRCLES

The management of the Pleasant Valley
lines does not take kindly to labor organi-
cations. Saturday night a meeting of
conductors and motor men was held in AL
legheny for the purpose of forming Knights
of Labor assembly. Yesterday 80 of the
men who attended the meeting were called
into the Office of the company. as they fin
ished their days work, and seven of them
were discharged by President D. +. Henry.
The men had talked about organizing ever
since the road was put in operation. The
officials kept pace with them and had on
hands constantly roster of all the men in
terested in the movement. They were not
long in discovering the names of those who
attended Saturday evenings meeting, and
every one of them was yesterday given an
opportunity to quit either the organization
or the employ of the company.
James Blasdell was the first man dis
posed of. He was called into the office in
Pleasant Valley, where President Henry
and Superintendent Graham were. Mr..
Henry asked Blasdell il he was interested
in the knights of Labor assembly. The
latter replied he was. The remainder of
discharged employe himself.
AS TOLD BY THE MEN.
"Are you going to remain in it?" asked
Mr.. Henry.
Indeed am" was the reply.
"You had better change your mind. We
have nothing against you as a conductor,
but We cannot retain you if you insist on
remaining with that organization"
II have no intention of Withdrawing from
the assembly," answered Mr.. Blasdell.
''Then you had better get your time" and
the President wrote out an order for the
mans pay.
The other men were put through the same
ordeal. They claim to have pleaded for a
days time to consider the matter, but this
was denied then. They were highly indig.
nant at the treatment they received. They
Immediately held a meeting, and the Off
cials of the new assembly called to see Mas
ter Workman Evans, of D. A. No. 3, to see
what could be done. Mr.. Evans was not in.
They waited about two hours, and then ar
ranged for a meeting of the members of the
new assembly, to be held to-day. Mr..
Evans will be present, and the grievance
will be presented to him.
WILL TRY TO GET BACK.
The men say an effort will be made on
their part to be reinstated, and if they fail
to secure recognition, other measures will
be resorted to. They state that about 80
other employees had expressed their inten-
ton of becoming members of the assembly, |
1t was intended to include all the men en-
ployed on the various lines of the company.
The discharged men claim to have the sym. |
pathies Of the remainder of the employees of |
he company, and that unless they are rein |
stated it will be an easy matter to tie up the |
-oad.
Ono of the men who did not lose his head |
aid last night: 81 don't know much about
his trouble. 1t was sprung so suddenly we |
we're all surprised. 1 did not think the |
Pleasant Valley officials would treat their
men in that way, and you can say that the |
men who have been retained will stand bv
heir unfortunate fellow workmen."
John Costello, one nj the trustees of the
General Assembly of the Knights of Labor,
s in the city. "Why, am surprised
aid he. when told of the trouble. ST tell |
7ou the street car corporations which have
ately invaded Pittsburg are more bitterly
to organized labor and the
lights of workmen than any 1 have ever
leard of. 1t is strange that in this city, the
enter of industry, a single objection should
'e made to organization. But the recent
Itlluue OF IneSe companies In Plttsburg |
will do more to draw the unions more closely
ogether than anything the officials of the
rganizations could do in year."
DOESN'T MINCE HIS WORDS,
President Henry was seen at his home in
Allegheny. He said: 1--WE are auswerable
D the public for the management of our
DAD, not to any organization, and we pro-
'ose that no outside interference shall come
n contact with our affairs. Our men work
ess time and get better pay than the en-
loyes of any other road in the world, so far
S 1 know. On the cable roads the conduc-
ors get So and gripmen So %; on the horse
ar lines the drivers get 81 rs and the con-
uctors receive 50. All of these men work
2 hours. Our men work but nine hours,
Or 20 cents per hour. We have a pleasant
eading room for their benefit, and we do
we can for them.
when a man enters our employ he signs
book OF rules. agreeing that whenever
rievances arise he will come to us in per-
On and make known his complaint. When
re see our men going into an organization
re know it means the organization will try
nd run our road, and we simply do not pro-
ose to have it that way. Should the road
e tied up tomorrow we have five times as
lany applicants for positions as we have
laces to fill. We will not recognize Mr.
vans or anybody else representing the
nights of Labor"