New-York tribune., 1891-05-15
All UNION swITCHMEN GO.
r,,r cu1oAao AND NORTHWESTERN MAKES
cTrAy SWEEP THROUGH IT'S YARDS.
= PUNISHMENT FOR INSTRUMENTATION AND
uAaAss1Ne srRIKEs-THE OTHER
EMPLOYEES SUPPORT THE COM
pANY's ACTION.
INV TELEGRAPH TO THE TRIBUNE!

-rfrCRAPH TO THE JhibuNh~s
rnsc.ro MAY 1z.-rhe Chicago ana Nor'n" 200 -,
Ratlroad Company summary osense ,s,"., .n,s morn
-. -.s ~u,ichmen in this city at O'CLOCK tnS i,vi
~. and 50 far as possible, put new men IN .ne-
, %e, wh.re that has not been done, cohuuo',' D
r,r.r,n,endents and other employees are uoius .,o
nrs The same order went into effect all oNei .,or
.,mnanv,s lines east Of the Missouri iuVer' i"S
,s tne result of dispute that occurred IN 'ne
Yards two months ago. Al that ume INC Seia WI.
Frank McNerney ordered Foreman Oro"' =. y each
.onsn division switching crew. TO run an extra
'o". ..o.s ~ Tho Gaena division and attach u 10
o or,,o,nr messenger train. Crow not only rerusoo
- obey the order but abused McNerney, ana NaS
rrompfly DISCHARGED. Thereupon the s"i'o'"'" -
tested ana threatened to strike uniess trc oVM s q,
reIieyed McNerney, took Crow pacK' anu p"' -.
McN.rney's place Tho switchmen's deniahus W. .e
anary aoceded TO and McKerney haa 70 :"
matter as since proven, did not end tnerc
W. socner had the rdmaster been discharged tnan
49, o-cen,,atlons OF the Railway Employees fooei"
Han. especially the Conductors bro'i'ei'oO,-
srotberhood of Trainmen and the flremchs . on'o
announced that they were displeaseo' ana 'eis 49,
s.d ioint committee wait on the oihcias az -
uunrters Briefly, they proposed TO tne co"pHns PAM 49,
s,.rsu..v .hor,S be relnstated, and that Crow To-
..hs- Nth every man In any way connected with tne
- .no,sn Of be discharged. AS guarantee Oh gooo
,,,h ana 10 manifest their determination these 'n'co
branches of the Federation plooeea 'neheooe
m ace that the company shouid n'V ~
for want Of men to run ns s"'oh @"e
and do its switching. Then and there an unuef
,n, was established and quietly the movement wnich
eliminated in clean sweep OF ob,ecuonaoie
this morning has since been shaping ltseH'
every nont ON the entire system is affected Chicago
and Milwaukee being the most important uenerh
Manager Whitman gave out this afternoon an oihuN@
uatement concerning the trouble ana the iu'u'e PO'
N the company. He said in part:
The daily newspapers have from tle 20 ID another
ponnccd in their columns, IN one form anu s -;
fhe disturbances and strikes created by tha' uaS
railway employees occupying the poS.T Som these men
~ the form OF request has been gradually incf%eaSST %
from request demand until these nwsyer tng
might be the cause however foolish or anss' as s ,
grounds upon which they have been cs 0ose tb entire
ncleb nb,nS no service of this company. No matter wa'
might be the particular grievance or eae rSe f rs and
pae the Sause afterward" The company has borne Null
these men patiently for some time tahea on w, them
end endenyored in every manner TO impress upon has
anu h iniustce of such actions. The MANAGEMENT tas @
tnv determined that this state OF AFFAIRS mas s'v t
eno1ah and while 1t proposes to deal iar anu on
h al ~ lis employees and TO give fair ana lust co
s,aeraton 10 any grievance properly presenleo ~ S
RropoeS 20 manner satisfactory to itself and 70 place
Itself in position where tne pu9IfHo pIHt bena pnt TO
COW no urorerly accommodated wlthout Dems P"0 W
inconyenience and annoyance from time to time
This wholesale discharge of men is one OF the most
,nortant occurrences in the railroading history OF '
-, ond 10 comes out ahead, VIII DC ioi-
,o,ved nv results OF the utmost importance TO the
,rave,Iine public Should the plan adopted by the
Northwestern road prove successful the switchmen on
nther roads will think twice before striking on june
1 az has been arranged. Owing to the great hhauoia
bss and danger TO property and life caused by srhcs
Of the swtchmen other roads have been afraid 10 aaop
The bold plan begun by the Northwestern ROAD uns
morning. but If this step proves success o'her r'au
have signiAed their ntenton Of following suit' NO
railroad company in the United states has ever hau
the courage to discharge at time all the men III any
single department of the road This fact makes this
affair of great interest," and the fact that TINS Is not
strife but plain discharge for insubordnauoh places
the company on an entirely different footing from "ha'
has been the case heretofore when trouble between the
management and employees was pending ..s .o
secretary HALL OF the Swtchmens Mutual lalu hss0-
,,afon SAID This morning: We have received no ON
rial confirmation from the Brotherhoof OF Iralnmen
at their order Is supporting the railroad company ~
this matter. IL s true that the places OF the US
Federation OF Tranmen but we are tncnne1 70 peheve
n s an Individual act and not the wlsn Oh ue oru.
THE frainmen support themselves IN their acton ny
asserting that there is no strike put teH ae L eS &
graphed the headquarters Of the rainmen az UaesDs
fo Ascertain the exact condition OF atars WIN inc
lodge as a whole We have also telegrapned ue gu,
nreme Council OF our order to come TO Chlcago ana
assume charge OF AFFAIRS. ,, -, l., S,,
Subordinate officers of the switchmens order IN Cnl-
rago talk about having strike ordered on all otner
western roads but il is thought that the knowledge
that the tranmen against them VIII deter te S-
cOud IL seems result only in the annihllaton OF ne
switchmen's organization. The yards Of the North
western in this city patrolled by city police TO
guard against any overt acts by the discharged men,