The Indianapolis journal., 1894-05-12
STRIKE AT PULLMAN
Over Two Thousand Car Works
Employees Quit Work.
Their Action Precipitated by Report
that the Plant Intended to Shut
DOwn-Other Labor News.

CHICAGO, May 11.-Over two thousand
employees of the Pullman Palace Car Com
pany quit work to-day. The trouble has
been brewing for some time. the men de-
manding the restoration of 80 1-3 per cent.
cut made in the wages last year. The
officials of the company refused the de-
mand and asserted that they were run
ming the plant at a loss for the purpose
of giving the men employment Vive
President Wickes and other officers of the
company were at the works to-day inves-
tigating charges made by the employees
committee. and they were entirely unpre-
pared for the sudden seriousness that the
situation had assumed. The men marched
out quietly in groups and for time the
officers thought the strike confined
to the disaffected few who had decided to
move without waiting for the decision Of
their suDeriors.
1t is reported that the strike is the re-
suit of meeting of the mediation commit
tee Of the board of American Railway
Union, which was in session until o'clock
this morning at Kensington. The commit
tee advised the local unions to take vote
the subject of striking. and afterwards
heard that the decision had reached the
officers of the company. and that the latter
had decided to shut down the works at noon
".
unions decided to go on strike. and word
was passed round TO this effect as soon as
the men assembled at the shops. 1t was
claimed that three OF the conference COM
mittee who worked in the iron shops were
laid off for being the committed and
this fact also had a great effect on the
men.
A mass meeting of the striking employees
was held tonight and great enthusiasm was
were made, all advising the men to be or
derly and keep away from the works dur
ing the strike. This the. men promised 10
do. Exactly 1850 men and 115 girls are now
out, and the strikers expect that others now
at work will join them soon.
Tonight a notice was posted on the gates
leading to the Pullman works declaring
that the works were closed and would not
resume operations until further notice. The
RGs1cs WSo said MaS tonight we told the mem tRa
We were not running for our own profit,
but TO give them work. We now propose
said
Trouble on the Great Northern.
ST. PAUL Mimi, May u.-Nearly all the
members of the American Railway Union
grievance committee are here and the two
or three who have not arrived will come
later. James Hogan, the Montana organ
izer, was one of the last to arrive, and he
says the Montana men are ready to go out
If the agreement with Mr.. Hill is not car
ried out to the letter. Director Rogers,
who has charge of the A. r. u. matters
in st. Paul. claims to have received tele-
grams from various points along the line
stating that many men have been dis
charged. notwithstanding the denial Of the
officials of the company. The members of
the committee claim that wholesale arrests
are being made at the instance of the COM
pany by the United States nnarshals of
men who were not guilty of interference
with the running Of trains or the destruc-
ton of property. They claim that this
method is being pursued by the company
as a means of vengeance against the