Western Kansas world. [volume] (WaKeeney, Kan.) 1885-current, 1893-04-22
BIG STRIKE.
Four Thousand Men at the
Worlds Fair.
&c Started From a Demand to Sign a Com
tract TO Employ Only Union Men
IL Was Contagious; Even
Teamsters Quit.

At the most critical time possible Tor the
worlds fair, the big exposition has eucoun-
tered its FIRST great strike. Four thousand
union men quit work. 1t was the culmins-
ton of much controversy over what is
claimed to be an agreement between the
worlds fair officials and the representatives
of union labor, by which all disputes BE-
tween employees and employers on the expo
sition work were to be settled by arbitration.
The men contend that some of the eIposi-
ton officials have recently shown a DISPOSE
ton, now that the fair is nearly completed,
TO deny point plank anything asked, and
that this has notably been the case In the
carpenters troubles, which have been pend
ing for some time, the exposition authorities,
It 10 alleged, declining to sign the scale pro-
posed by the carpenters union for the new
season, although a majority of the large con-
tractors in the city had signed.
Decisive action was taken by the construc-
ton department, and orders we're issued to
the uniformed Columbian guards to remove
delegates found actively soliciting men to
quit work. From that time on the patrol
wagon calls were pretty frequent. The
prompt removal of agitators angered the
men at the gates, and a good deal of threat
en1ng talk was INDUCED in. Numerous per-
sonal encounters occurred between strikers
under the influence of liquor and non-union
men who showed disposition to 60 to work.
Finally a squad of officers vas called out,
who ordered the men to either 60 to work or
leave the vicinity. The latter order they
were slow to obey, and as a result received
some hard raps from the officers clubs, who,
after half hours work, succeeded in fore.
ing them across the street, where they held
them by patrolling up and down in front of
them.
The exposition company was practically
conforming to conditions made by labor Or
carnations, but refused to sign clause re-
curing the employment of union men only.
]. B. Cogswell, president of the carpenters
council, then ordered a strike of the carpen-
te1. There were only about 800 carpenters
employed by the exposition company and
not all of them obeyed the order. The strike
was practical failure and most of the men
returned TO work during the last week. The
matter was carried to the building trades
council, and Saturday q manifesto to the ex-
position managers was prepared which
threatened that unless the demands of the
carpenters were acceded to a general strike
would be ordered.
Before 1 p. m. fully 1000 were out, includ-
ing probably over dozen different trades.
To make matters worse at this serious juno
ture, one third of the employees of the install
lation department, 200 in NUMBER, declared
q strike and promptly quit work.
The men who are engaged as teamsters
have been receiving SLIGO per day and made
a demand for 50 per day, which was refused
them, whereupon a strike was ordered and
stopped as quick as the drop of hat.
ALL OVER.
The strike at the Chicago fair lasted one
DAY.
The only material contention the labor
organizations made was that the board
should sign a contract not to employ nom
union men.
There was 6 delegation of the leaders of
strikers sent to meet the council of admin
istration, of the exposition.
When Mr.. Russell. representing the strik-
ers, approached with the proposal for arbi-
trstion, Mr.. Russell was met with the reply
that the council could and would not dis
cuss the proposition to employ none but |
union men. Mr.. Massey, of the national |
commission, said that the law of the United |
States, bearing on the freedom of contract, |
forbade him in his capacity as a govern |
ment officer to vote for anything that in |
volved discrimination between citizens be- |
cause they were uniCn or non-union men. |
To add to the strength of his position, Mr.. |
Massey asked Mr.. Russell whether me had |
stopped to consider the very unpleasant posi- |
ton the union had assumed when it |
laid itself liable to the charge of conspiracy, |
not only against the state and national law, |
but against the treaty laws, as prevailing |
between the United States and the countries |
within the park.
This resulted In a contract being drawn |
and signed, which has no new features other |
than has all along controlled, and the men |
all went back to work at the same pay for |
the same hours.