Daily capital journal. (Salem, Or.) 1896-1899, 1897-08-23
STRIKE,
Deck Hands Have Quit Work.
They Demand an Increase in Pay
and Are Refused,

A strike of deckhands and tiremen
on the steamboats, plying on the Will
lamette and Columbia rivers, has been
inaugurated by the Oregon steamboat
assembly. The men recently made a
demand for increase of wages from S35
to $40 month. This was refused,
whereupon the men struck. Owing to
the immense amount of grain being
transported at this season Of the year,
the men have been working quite
hard for several weeks past until 2
and O'Clock in the morning. The
menawere not satisfied with wages
they were receiving and asked for an
increase in their pay. The strike
promises to extend to most OF the
river crafts in use between Portland
and river points. No violence is being
shown by the striking men. The COM
panies succeeded in filling all vacan-
cies within a few minutes after the
former hands left.
The strike, if such it can be called,
was inaugurated Saturday morning,
when the It. j. Potter and Ocean
Wave were on the eve of starting
down the Columbia river from Port
land. The assembly voted on the sub
ject of increased wages about two
weeks ago, ,and then decided to call off
union men,if no raise was made. The
decision had not been acted upon un-
til tie present. The steamers of the
o. r. & N. company all have more or
less union men aboard, and the crews
of five of the boats have already quit
and been supplanted by new men.
The strikers did not give much warn
ing of their intended action, but
seemed to act suddenly, so that their
departure would have the effect Of
crippling the companies.
The steamboat Ruth was the first
from which the men were called, her
crew leaving on Friday evening.
All of the crews on the steamers
operating on the Columbia river have
quit work but the management
of the boats experience no difficulty
in replacing the crew on a moments
notice.
Five of the o. r. & n. Co. boats
have reached Portland since the order
was issued for union men to quit, and
the crews of each left immedif tely
after receiving the notice from tie
assembly. The boats effected so far
are the Ruth, Modoc, Potter, Gypsy
and Thompson. New men were
placed On each within a few minutes
after the old employees left, and each
of the boats started on the return trip
on time. There are other boats be-
longing to the company to arrive yet
in Portland. The same policy will
doubtless be adopted toward them by
the union, and the management of
the company is preparing for such an
emergency. If the hands leave, others
will Immediately be put in their
places, so that the regular busines
will not be disturbed.
Fhe members of the Oregon Steam
boat Assembly simply state that they
are quitting because wages are not
high enough. They say the work of
deckhand and fireman is very hard,
and we'll worth $40, which is $5
more than they are getting now.
They do not speak of the affair as a
strike, or even as though it was by a.
regular order Of the assembly, yet the
concerted action of the union men
makes it apparent that the assembly
has taken official action on the mat
ter.
The managers of the companies ap-
pear TO be absolutely firm in their
position. One officer said that his
company might have given the sub.
ject of raise of S. serious considera-
tion, if time had been given them to
do so, but the first notice received of
such a demand was when the men sud-
denly began to leave. Another officer
stated that his company could not af-
lOlu w pay lhOlS Iudu UuGy WCIG pay
ing now. He said that was all the
business would justify, and he believed
experienced men could be found to do
the work at that figure, even if they
had to come from the Mississippi river
in which case the color of the i'm
ported hands might not be regarded. |
The o. R.& n. steamer Ruth, due |
in Oregon City at O'Clock Saturday
afternoon did not reach that city un-
till Sunday forenoon. When she went |
down Saturday she had one deck
hand, in place of the usual crew of
eight men, the Others having struck
for an advance from S35 to $40 per
month. Similar trouble was begun
on the other boats of the willamette
fleet Of the o. r. s. N. Co., the Modoc
and Gypsy, but the crews finally re-
sumed work until September /, with
4 L.,