The Kootenai herald. [volume] (Kootenai, Idaho) 1891-1904, 1893-04-15
A BRIEF STRIKE.
WORLDS FAIR LABORERs RE-
TURN TO WORK


After Having Been Out One Day.
About the Only Result Accom-
piished Was the Loss of the Days
Work.
CHICAGO, April 1O.-The strike inau-
gurated in the worlds fair grounds
Monday morning was ainicably settled
at a meeting of the council of admins
tration with the executive committee of
the building trades council. The whole
trouble is settled as far as the Exposi-
tion company is concerned, but there
are, however, several contractors ON the
grounds who must sign the agreement
before their men will return to work.
There are 1000 men who will not re-
turn to work in the morning on this
account. A committee will be at work
early endeavoring TO get these con-
tractors
To Sign the Agreement
which will put their men at work and
enable the great enterprise to be pushed
to an early completion. The session of
the two committees during the after
noon was a long one and both sides of
the trouble were thoroughly discussed.
Director of Works Burnham proved to
President Russell of the building trades
council that the building trades had
agreed when work on the fair was COM
menced that union and non-union men
should work together without discrim-
ination. 1t was this question of hiring
non-union men that was the
Real Cause of the Strike.
President Russell finally acknowledged
that in one particular the building
trades were in the wrong. An agree
ment was drawn up by George V.
Massey and was signed by the executive
committee of the building trades and
the strike was then declared off. Presi-
dent Russell promised that the men
should return to work in the morning
as if nothing had happened. Under the
new agreement union and non-union
workmen are to be treated alike, every
employe to be paid the minimum rate
of wages prescribed for the trade for
which he is employed.
The Net Result OF the Strike
was the loss of one days work to the
men, the securing of free tickets for
walking delegates and "a hours loss of
time in completing the work when
every minute is cash.
Four thousand five hundred work.
men obeyed the orders of the
building trades council to strike and
about 1000 ignored the orders. There
was no violence offered the men who
refused to leave their work at the
grounds except in one instance. The
delegates confined themselves to max
ing stump speeches, which were lis
tened to by large crowd of striking
men. During the early part of the
morning half dozen delegates entered
the grounds and started to make a tour
of the buildings. During the trip their
numbers were augmented until there
was goodly procession of the men.
They came upon "a small party of non
union men and asked them to quit
work and Join the union. This the
men refused TO do and an
Incipicnt Riot Resulted.
Word was sent TO police headquarters
that row was going on and company
of Columbian guards was sent on the
double quick to the scene of disorder.
Upon arrival at the scene of trouble
few prods of the guards short swords
drove the delegates into "A patrol wagon
and they were escorted from the
grounds. When this was reported to
Mr.. Burnham he gave orders that all
delegates found interfering with work
men or trying to induce them to quit
work should be put off the grounds.
This order was strictly enforced and the
patrol wagons were kept Lusy during