Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1894-07-23
A BIG BROTHERHOOD.
American Railway Union Plans to Alb
sorb All Railroad Unions,
And MAKE a Gigantic Struggle in 1895 Tor
Restored Wages.

| CHICAGO, July 22.-The Herald prints
long article giving in detail the plans OF
the American Railway Union to absorb the
| older American brotherhoods, and of the
recently organized American Labor Union
to take in every class of labor except rail
road employees. The article says that some
broad statements were made by officials at
the American Railway Union headquarters,
yesterday, as follows:
That on or about Jan. 10, 1895, there
| would be held in Chicago convention COM
posed of representative men OF the Amerl-
can Railway Union, United Mine Workers
of North America, knights of Labor and
American Labor Union; that the American
Federation of Labor and other railway
brotherhoods would not be represented Iii
this convention; that at this conven-
ton all branches of labor represented
would be called on to present
succinct report as to the then existing
wage scales and how much they have been
cut IN 1899, 1898 and 1894; that these wage
scales should then be formulated into a
demand to be presented to the corporations
and railroads fixing them at May l, 1890,
with the demand that they be readjusted to
the basis existing prior to the panic and
hard times, and that if this demand is not
granted, a general walkout would follow.
As one officer of the Railway Union put
it: 1.-The present strike will never be de-
clared off by Debs, and we expect, if the
Chicago switchmen remain firm, that the
Chicago roads will eventually compromise
on basis satisfactory to all. There will
be full analysis of the wage scales before
any demand will be made on
capital for change, and the
East will be as strongly represented IN the
new labor organizations then as the West is
now. The movement of May 1, 1895, then
will be only reinforcement of the strike
begun June &c, 1884,
| In this plan much is expected of the
| New American Labor Union, whose mem
bership is now claimed to be 1000 and
which has op ned its ranks to every
class of labor except railroad employees.
The cost of membership in the American
Labor Union is the same as that in the A
r. u, 81 for card, tine card being COOL
for one year.
Those behind the plan for the January
convention expect the acquittal of Debs
by the courts, and that following this he
will make tour of the East, delivering
speeches and organizing branches of his
order, while campaigners rom the Ameri-
can Labor Union will follow him to me- 'le
inroads Into the ranks of Gompers' follow
ers. They argue hat the inc never was
better for the establishment of a labor
union to con .ol all labor factions outside
of railroad work.
Union officials regard the Brotherhood of
Locomotive Engineers as practically off
cially dead. They cite the dissolution Of
lodges of this order at Champaign, Danville,
Terre Haute and in all pairs of the country
but the East. as e, idence that the engineers
either wish to be independent or are ripe
| for new organization.
The Railway Union officials count
on convention in January of
1000 delegates, representing every
branch or labor from the newsboy to
the railroad eng .neer. and with Debs pre-
siding. 1t was stated, yesterday, that Gen
eral Master Workman Sovereign would not
interposea single objection to the total alb
sorption of the Knights of Labor by the
American Labor Union and only desires not
to be left entirely out. On the other hand,
General Secretary Hayes is reported to be
decidedly averse to sacrificing the identity
of the Knights.