Grand Rapids herald. [volume] (Grand Rapids, Mich.) 1892-1959, 1893-02-03
MAY TIE UP ROADS
Chicago May Have . Big Rail-
road Strike.
Big INCREASE IN PAY ASKED
Asa VII CO Out Unless Theis Demands
are 0sanssd- AfsscuaE Every
Road an cAse.ge.

ut AARs ttt< htAV ~ atti ~
brewing in the lAtos sky. which. when
10 bursts. Will cause CONSERVATION Ia
certain quarters that can just now
least Afford In cope with IL II will
Affect the most important huaness OF
the city. and make itself fsit IN every
branch OF commerce having TO do 3sth
the nisterisl prosperity OF the city.
Every wholesale house will fee. lts ef-
feet. and II allowed TO spread. Il WILL
! paralyEe the very bone aud slnew OF
Chicsgo's trade.
There isA prospect that the most
stupendous strike on the railroads
leading into the city which has ever
been started may DO inaugurated with
IN fortnight. no road being left un-
affected. This strike Will be organized
aud maintained hy tho switcLmen,
every man so employed being now
| practically pledged 10 go into II and
| nuid put 10 the end. Unless certain
demands are complied Win they are
| prepared To 20 out IN a body. and thus
stop every wheel from turnlns IN
every enc of the fiity yards
within the city and immediate vi
clnity.
what is Demanded.
At Nlehle's hail. on the corner OF
Western avenue and Indiana street, =
| prelIininary meeting MAS held last
night, at which over two hundred
Representatives Of the various switch
mems organ zAtions were present. Not
a single railroad WAS unrepresented
aud the sentiment was unanimous that.
unless the demands about 10 be made
on the railroad companies be acceded
To promptly. - concerted movement
would be made for a strike which
| would be far reaching and irresistible.
The demand to be made Is tor An
increase of wages, aud large increase
a, that. Both day and night men are
ia tue plan 10 secure higher wages,
something which nas never before been
accomplished. The old sores between
the UNIONS and the swltcnmen on the
tnicago Il Northwestern, Chicago, Bur-
lington n Quincy, and the Lake shore
4 Michigan Southern have been healed,
and the men on these roads are now
united with every other road In the
city on the proposition 10 secure q uni
form advance IN wages.
The present scale of wages has been
IN force wl.nout much variation since
the strike of 1851. when the scale was
arranged AS a compromise measure.
Now the men propose To demand the
scale that Was overthrown by that
compromise. The scale now 10 AZ fol-
loVs: Day foreman IN yard, 20;
helpers. $50 for ten hours work and
over time pro rata. Night men, fore
men, $3.50: helpers. $40 for ten
hours. The demand to lie made on the
rallr ads Is: Day foreman. IS 50; help
ers, 81. with 80 cents an hour for fore
men and 80 cents an hour for helpers
for over time. Aso Sunday work To
be pad for at double these rates.
1oncertea Action.
At the meeting last night many stir
ring speeches were made, and the rewas
but one sentiment expressed, thai Of
determination 10 secure the new scale
or 90 cut. IL Was also arranged to hold
msss meeting next sunday at some
central hall. where final arrangements
Will be made and committees appointe1
TO wait on the different railroad mar.
ayers and present the wishes of the
men.
"Nou can say," said one of the men
who attended the meeting to a re-
porter. that TINS u not q movement OF
few dlscontented men or a single
nnlon. IL has been under dIscnsslor
for long time by all the men and
every road without an exception wa
represented last night. The scale ol
wages We propose T. SIX for Is moder
ate considering the arduous and dan
gerous work. IL Is the same that We
asked for IN 1881. but then there were
many roads not represented and TIT
railr ads affected managed to max,
compromise scale. Thi. time W,
have a united force. Even switchmer
outside the UNIONS are with us. and W,
! expect to win. III the railroad man
ayers refuse there will be trouble cure
The speaker was evidently IN earnes
and his words gave no reason TO doub
that n storm ,sss At hand for the rail
way magnates 10 handle.