The morning call., 1893-04-18
ALL WALKED OUT.
Union Pacific Shopmen
Strike.
LARGELY 1T IS SYMPATHY.
There Is a Grievance, but the Men
Feel for the Santa Fe
Employees.
LARGELY 1T IS SYMPATHY.
Special to The MORNING CALI.

/
! the agreement entered into to allow the
| force of men to reduce itself when the time
was below the standard of nine hours a
| day. 1t is claimed that the company, in
| stead of allowing the force of men employed
| to reduce itself, actually has kept up the
| full quota of men, and in some shops,
| Omaha included, has increased the force.
| The company has not only increased the
| force. but reduced the standard of time from
nine hours TO eight for working day Janu-
| ary 10 this year
The employees claim to have a written
| agreement, signed by General Manager
| Dickinson and Assistant Superintendent
| Dertzhemer, that while the men were
working eight hours it was understood the
| places Of the men who leave the service will
not be filed, except when absolutely neces-
sary in order to carry on the woTk to ad-
vantage, there being no intention of doing
anything that might be construed as bad
faith or standing in the way of this plan
working itself out naturally and speedily as
soon as the force has been reduced suffi-
GENTLY TO establish standard of nine
hours.
The aggrieved employees claim that no
effort has been made by the company to 1--we
up to the terms of the agreement, and that
while they are working on an eight hour
basis, other roads are paying the same rate
of wages, and work their men ten hours
day.
The executive board, representing the
employees, seem to be endeavoring to per-
suade President S. II. H. Clark and j. fl.
Mcconnell, general manager mechanic OF
the Union Pacific system, to modify their
views concerning the Interpretation of the
agreement TO reduce the force and increase
the working hours from eight to nine. The
offiaials have held several conferences with
the committee, but were unable 10 arrive at
a satisfactory agreement, and the strike to-
day was the result.
j. II. Mcconnell, superintendent Of the
motive power, in an interview said that the
difficulty was not matter Of wages or
hours Of work, but simply the refusal OF the
company to Sign new. contracts submitted
by the men, regulating the conditions under
which they should work. The first propo-
sition was submitted to him, which he re-
fused to sign. 1t was then taken to Clark,
who also declined. One of the primary OBJ
jections was thatthe contract demanded that
when it was necessary 10 reduce expenses
and the men were obliged TO work eight
| hours the company should not employ any
new boIler-nakers, machinists, DlackSmiths
| or moldeIs. The men finally withdrew this
proposition aad presented another which
provided that when working eight hours
| day. the company should not employ any of
the above-named craftsmen until after 10
| per cent of the force had been discharged.
This. Mcconnell stated, would prevent an
increase of men, while working eight
hours. thereby practically taking the con-
troll OF hiring men out of the cOmpany's
hands Superintendent Mcconnell could
not say just how many men would be af-
fected.
From other sources it is learned that the
strike affects about $500 men on the system,
and only interests the workers of iron, or
those men working eight hours instead of
nine. as they alleged they were promised on
January u, The towns most affected, in
addition to Omaha, are Denver, Cheyenne,
Salt Lake, Rawlins, Armstrong, Pocatello,
Evanston, Laramie. Lagrande and Sho-
shone.
From conversations with officials the con-
seDsus of opinion was that the road had
never been in better condition to undergo a
strike than at the present time. The roll
ing stock is in much batter shape, although
Just coming out of winter, than 1t was in
October last. Out of the 160 engines on the
Nebraska division alone. there is not one
that has not been in the shops in the last
nine months, and although the shops have
been turning out two engines on an average
per day, having undergone light and heavy
repairs, the officials do not hesitate to say
that they can 90 on for the next ninety days
without the men who walked out to-day.
President Clark refused TO make any de-
tailed statement of the differences between
the men and the company, saying that his
remarks might be msconstr and that
- AZ. II
men, as q whole, would not act rashly and
that the strike would not be general. The
men. he said, had simply asked more than
the company had granted and he could not,
to the extent desired, surrender his author
ity over them.
The knights Of Labor in the shops refused
to strike. as bulletin posted by the execu-
tive committee of District Assembly 50 or
dered them to remain at work, as by strik-
ing they would violate their contract. There
are only few knights among them.
The men in the company's shop at North
Platte also struck.
CHICAGO, April 17.-Specials from Omaha
and Denver say: A strike has been ordered
among the b0iler-makers, pattern-makers.
blacksmiths and IN olders in the shops along
the entire line of the Union Pacific system
and every man is out. The trouble has
arisen concerning the reduction OF the
standard-tme working day. Last year the
company agreed to so reduce the working
force as to permit the men to work nine
hours day instead Of eight. The company
began violating the agreement in January,
and the men have been unable to bring
about the restoration Fully 5000 men are
involved in the shops at Omaha, Denver.
Salt Lake, Cheyenne, Ogden, Portland.
ID IT,,
house points. The men are said to be thor
oughly organized and united. At meeting
of shop men at Denver yesterday, the con-
servative element predomnated and resolved
to send a request TO the officers of the order
at Omaha to have the strike delayed till
committee from Denver could reach there.
At Cheyenne, Wyo., $50 men went out at
II 80. They are satisfied with the wages.
which are higher than elsewhere, but will
stand by the other men.
At Laramie. Wyo., the men are waiting
for orders from Omaha. 1t is understood
here the strike is q sympathetic one, in con-
nection with the strike on the Santa Fe.
There are six shops on the Wyoming diyi-
sion of the Union Pacific, employing in
the aggregate 506 men, at Cheyenne, Lara
mie, Rawlins, Green River, Evanston and
Ogden. II is estimated that 5000 men will be
affected on all the lines from Omaha to
Portland. Oregon.
DENVER. April 1.-THE threatened
strike of the machinists. boiler-makers and
blacksmiths employed in the Union Pacific
shops here did not occur to-day The men
are in the dark in regard to the cause of the
trouble, and tonight committee was sent
to Omaha to straighten things out. MANY
of The employees in the shops here are
Knights of Labor, the balance consisting of
members of the Amalgamated Association
OF Engineers. Boiler-makers and Machin-
lists. Should the strike go into effect, there
would be about $50 trades unionists who will
walk out of the Denver shops. while about
200, who belong to the Knights of Labor.