Omaha daily bee., 1897-10-12
DEMANDS OF UNION LABOR
1t Insists on Union Wages aud Union
Hours of Work.
EXPOSITION WoRKMEN OUT ON A STRIKE
Charge Made that Geraldine brought
In scab Labor from the East
to Break the Back
of the Union.

The labor troubles which have followed
Dion Geraldlne's connection with the ex-
position eliminated yesterday in an open
strike. All the men employed on the
grounds who belong to labor organizations
laid down their tools and the erection OF
the buildings In the main court Is at stand
still. The carpenters and the staff workers
all quit. except a few men employed by
Hamilton Bros on the Machinery building,
and conference was appointed with them
at noon.
Representatives OF the labor unions charge
y Dion Geraldine with being directly respon-
sible for this condition of affairs They say
that he has brought outside labor into
Omaha and has flooded the east with reports
that there are not enough carpenters, plas-
terers. painters and men OF various other
building trades in Omaha to do the work
netded on the exposition, and that this has
resulted in bringing into omaha hundreds
OF men who are taking the work directly
out OF the hands OF men who live In Omaha
and have their families here many Of whom
own property In the city. These men say
there is no truth in the reports sent out by
! Geraldine to eastern contractors and trade
journals, and that he has been actuated
solely by a desire to break the back OF or
dine is directly responsible for the actions
OF the contractors in refusing to treat with
representatives Of organized labor.
~" DEMANDS OF LABOR.
At the last meeting of the Building Trades
council resolution adopted demanding
that organized labor be recognized by the eX-
position management and that none but union
labor be employed on the ounds. This
resolution was preiaced by numerous
'whereases, reciting that all former efforts
to secure recognition had failed; that scab
labor from the outside had been brought into
the city to take the work away from Omaha
men; that Il proposition to vote 100000 of
county bonds in aid of the exposition is
about to be presented to the votes of Doug
las county. The demand for recognition was
followed by a resolution declaring that all
The allied trades represented in the Building
Trades council would do all in their power
to defeat the bond proposition unless accorded
recognition on the exposition work.
The adoption of this resolution was followed
by meeting of representatives. of all the
building trades organization at Labor Temple
sunday afternoon, at which 1t was decided
60 lnougurate strike on the exposition
grounds. At this meeting the attitude Of
Geraldine came in for censure
STRIKE IS ORDERED.
Yesterday the strike order took effect.
and at the hour of commencing work the
carpenters and staff men laid down their
tools and walked out. The men demand
that eight hours shall constitute a day S
work; that carpenters shall receive 30 cents
per hour, and that none but union men
shall be employed The men say that the
contractors have been paying carpenters but
20 or % cents per hour and that they have
been hiring laborers to do carpenters work
such as laying floors, etc, ana have been
requiring all men to work nine or ten hours
All of the men employed on the Manufac-
lures building walked out and absolutely
nothing is being done about the building
The few carpenters working on the Admins
tration building walked out and two or three
.lathers and one two men employed in
putting on the roofing material are all thai
are working about the building. The big
Mines building was deserted, not a man be-
ing at work on 1t; few men were engaged
In setting up the boiler for the planning mill
to be operated by Contractor Goldie for this
building. The Machinery building was the
only one where any work was being done
force of fifteen men being at work. OF
this number four or five were union men and
conference was agreed on between the
union representatives and all of the men
employed.
VIEWS OF CONTRACTORS.
Contractor Hamilton of the Mines building
said he intended to go ahead regardless Of
what the union did. He said he was undei
bonds to complete the building at a certain
time and would employ non-union labor Il
necessary. He said he was paying from q
to 30 cents per hour, according to mans
ability averaging about 2S cents per hour
and working ten hours day. He also stated
that the union would only allow one latorel
to five carpenters and he said he could worl
larger per centage of 1aborers to ad
vantage.
Contractor Golde said he intended to be
governed by what the local contractors do IL
the matter. He said he was DELAYED by the
failure OF some of his long timber to arrlv,
and could wait few days without any los.
to himself until the matter is decided
Contractor Strehow said he had been EN-
ploying union labor all along and expected
70 continue doing
The staff workers also have a few griey
ances and say they will take advantage o
the present strike to have few adjustments
on their own account. They complain tha
the staff contractors are employing greer
hands TO do casting and other intricate por
tions of the staff work, paying them almos
nothing and getting very inferior work Tht
stan men were recently organized into {
union, and they say they are going to claim
the protection and cooperation of the Other
unions.
URGE OTHERS TO STRIKE
A mass meeting of the representatives OF
the organizations In the Building Trades
council, the striking workmen and number
OF representatives OF unions not directly con
Germ in the strike was hold at Labor Tenn
pie yesterday afternoon, The meeting wa
held behind closed doors and lasteC
all afternoon. When the meeting adjourne,
II proceeded In body to the exposi
tion grounds with view of inducing thu
men working for Hamilton Brothers on th
Machinery building to quit work There
were about sixty men who started for tn,
grounds and they walked out In small
groups.
When the grounds were reached they stoot
around In little knots discussing the situa
tion, but made no attempt to interfere witt
the worltmen. Perfect order was preserved
and the strikers made no attempt to tall
with the men who were working or ammo,
thm in any way. They simply waited unit
o'clock came and the men quit work 70
the day. Then the strikers approached thos,
who had been working and talked and rea
soned with them, endeavoring to secur,
thsir eo-operation and assistance in the con
troversy with the contractors The success
of this movement viii hest be seen thi
morning, when another working day is com