Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1893-04-11
BOTH UNION AND NON UNION MEN
Will be Hired as the Needs Of the
Contractors Dictate-An Shall
be Paid at Least the Minimum
Rate of Wages Demanded by
the Several Labor Organiza-
tions-The Strike Was a Big
One While it Lasted, but it Was
Soon Settled.

every hundred will work the same
pay he received before he struck.
For the first time since its inception,
organized labor came squarely In con-
tact with the United States governmnnt
and while all questions of wages were
satisfactorily settled, the right OF the
employer TO use non-union men, or
union men, the right Of men to be In
the ranks of organized labor or without
them, was insisted upon by the national
representatives and acknowledged by
the union men themselves.
1t was 10 o'clock tonight when the
meeting between the Council OF Admin
istration and representatives OF Build
ing Trades Council came to an agree
ment which is to continue throughout
the entire period OF the exposition ana
under which further trouble is impossi-
Bile. The men have received the formal
con cession Of minimum rate OF wages,
and have yielded to the demand OF the
exposition officials that they may en-
ploy any man, whether he be or be not
a member OF any labor organization.
At 10 o'clock tonight the Council OF
Administration presented to the Execu-
tive Committee Of the strikers the fol-
lowing resolution which were preceded
by short preamble setting forth the
existence of the strike:
ReSOlUed, That in the employment OF
workmen or artisans in the several
trades represented by said executive
committee, for the performance OF
work under the direct charge and super
vision of the Worlds Columbian Ex-
position, Representatives OF union or or
ganized labor shall be entitled to equal
consideration with those OF non-union
labor and that the workmen heretofore
employed by said Exposition Company
who have this day gone out on astrike
shall not be refused employment on
that account, il being the express pur-
pose of the council that organized labor
as such shall not be Disseminated
against and,
ResoIred, further, That there shall be
paid TO every artisan so employed by the
Exposition Company at least the mini
mum rate of wages prescribed for the
trade in which he is employed, and
ReSolued, That an authorized repre-
sentative or delegate Of each OF said
trades shall be furnished with pass
emitting him to free admission to the
grounds, and shall have the right to
confer with the workmen Of his trade
at all times, provided such conference
shall not materially interfere with or
retard the work.
RESOLVED, further, that the conces-
sions made in and by the foregoing
resolutions are so made with the dis
tinct understanding that they shall be
accepted by said Executive Committee,
as full settlement Of the present con-
troversy, that the men who have gone
on strike shall return TO work at once
aud the provisions shall continue In
force and be operative during the whole
period of the Exposition.
These resolutions were at once signed
by all members of Strikers Committee
representing the 5000 or 5000 laboring
men and the trouble was over.
1t was a close call for the exposition,
not only for its opening, but for Its
success. The work Of the men who
struck to-day is nearly over, and while
they could not have ruined the fair
they, by stopping the work. might have
delayed matters so that the exposition
could not have been in complete readi-
ness by the first Of May. There was
great relief expressed on both sides
when the thing was over, for the mem
bers of the council OF administration
and of the strikers committee alike
we're fearful of the weight Of public
opinion, which would fall upon the
party that opposed or obstructed the
success of the exposition.
The strike to-day was en- attempt to
sunionize the fair-nothing more, moth
ing less. The labor leaders claimed
that the Worlds Fair had not kept
faith with them because they had
refused to consider the making OF q
new agreement in the face OF the fact
that majority OF the contractors
employed by the exposition had
already made agreements with the
men which were entirely satisfactory
to the latter. Nine out OF every ten
men who struck, to-day were employed
by contractors who were on \ friendly
footing with them. Two years
ago, when the latter representatives
made a demand that none but union men
should be employed at the fair, they
were asked II they could guarantee
thot the unions could furnish enough
men to enable the work to be prose-
cuted without delay. After taking ac-
count OF stock they were forced TO con-
fess that the unions were not strong
enough to furnish all the men.
They were then informed by the Ma
tional Commission that the government
could not and would not discriminate
against men because they were or were
not members of labor organizations.
This ended the argument on the union
question, and the matter was dropped
by common consent. There never was
any agreement that none but union
men should be employed.
Two weeks ago the labor nnions put
in the request that non-union men be
discharged. 1t was refused and from.
that time began the trouble.
1t is openly hinted and on the other
hand positively denied that some msm-
bers of the bosses association have
wInked ct the strike because there were
men on the ground employed at less
than the terms required by the bosses
agreement with the building trades
council. The men have an iron clad
agreement with the bosses binding them
not 70 strike, Jet they have struck and