The record-union., 1891-05-15
LABOR TROUBLES.
ENTIRE FORCE OF NORTHWESTERN
SWITCHMEN DISMISSED.
Collision Between Striking Spinning
Operatives and Military
in Russia.
Special to the REcoRp-UNIoN,

CpSCld1 W Guc 1ECORD-ON1ONs
CHICAGO, May 1.-THE trouble be-
tween the Chicago and Northwestern
road and its switchmen, owing to the
discharge Of a yardmaster, eliminated
this morning in the discharge of the en-
tire force, numbering $50 men. The COM
pany has been anticipating this necessity
for some time and was prepared for it,
New men were hired and distributed
through the yards, taking the places of
those discharged. All the morning trains
went out as usual, and no trouble is re-
ported up to 1920 o'clock A. NJ.
Northwestern officials state for more
than two years the situation regarding
switchmen was constantly growing
worse. The men not only struck fire.
quently for trivial causes, but they have
number of times demanded the dis
charge of men who performed satisfactory
work and whose only fault was they
were not members of the Switchmen's
Union. About two months ago they
demanded the discharge of Yardmaster
McNerndy, and to avoid trouble he was
ostensibly dismissed, but kept on the
payroll of the company and was this
morning reinstated in his old position.
General Manager Whitman says the
Management is fully determined that this
state of affairs has gone far enough. and
while it proposes to deal fairly and Justly
with its employees and give fair and Just
consideration to any grievance properly
presented, 1t also proposes to manage its
property and its own business in its own
way. All other railroad companies are
applauding the action of the Northwest
ern and will come TO its support if neces-
Sary.
The discharged employees are only
those on the Northwestern system proper,
which does not include lines west of the
Missouri River. Reports from all points
are to the effect that trains are moving
pretty generally on time and the inter
ruption to business is very slight. At
points where new switchmen have not
been provided the trainmen are doing
the switching.
Dispatches from Milwaukee and Madi-
son, Wis, Clinton, Ia, and other places
on the road say the switchmen at those
points were discharged and paid off this
morning.
This afternoon the discharged men here
had secret meeting to settle upon a
course of action. 1t is known that some
OF them favor asking the company to re-
lnstate them. Others counsel holding out
and resort to violence if necessary. There
are rumors that the order will be called
on 70 declare general strike on the st.
Paul, Rock Island and Burlington Roads,
whose managers are supposed to be in
sympathy with the action of the North
western. The company is supported in its
position by the conductors, firemen's
and brakemen's unions. The switch
mems union is not included in the Ma
tional Federation of Railroad EMPLOYEES.
To committee of the men who called
on President Hughitt, he said: 1.-THE
switchmen for the last two years have
been abOut runninp this road All tho
officials have been humiliafed and now
we propose to ascertain whether we can
run our own road. We are backed up by
every trainmen's order in the Federation
except the switchmen. This is not an at
tack on the unions in any way. but
simply matter of discipline. We must
know who are going to dictate, the Of
ticials or employees"
ALL ALONG THE LINE
BOONE Ua.), May I4.-All switchmen
and yardmasters on the Iowa division of
the Chicago and Northwestern were dis
charged this morning, the switching
being done by trainmen, and there is no
interruption to business.
STRIKERS vICToRIoUs.
PITTsBURG, May l4.-Work resumed
to-day at the National Tube Works. The
strike was on the part of the machinists
for nine hours. 1t has lasted fifteen
weeks, and the men have come out vic
torious.
STRIKE OF SPINNING OPERATORS.
ST. PETERSBURG, May l4.-Dispatches
received here from Warsaw state that
serious strike of spinning operatives has
taken place there. The operatives are
mostly German Socialists. A riot oc-
CURED, and several collisions between
the military and strikers have taken
place,