Kentucky Irish American. (Louisville, Ky.) 1898-1968, 1898-10-08
The American Federation and
the Engineers Association
In a Snarl.
The Outcome Will BE Awaited
With Interest by Employer
and Employee.
A MOST STUBBORN FIGHT PREDICTED

A question of vital interest to every
trades and labor organization i'll the
United States, to corporations and public
contractors and to city officials in the
letting of public work, is to be carried
to the Supreme Court of the United
States as a result of the long-existing i'll
will between the American Federation of
Labor and the National Association of
Stationary Engineers.
The point at issue is the legality of the
union labor clause when inserted in con-
tracts for municipal work, and it is a
curious anomaly that the final adjudica-
ton of the vexed question will probably
come through a conflict for supremacy
between two labor organizations. The
controversary originated in Chicago a
few week ago, and the decision of the
Supreme Court will be awaited with in
terest in every city in the country from
the fact that it is the first time in the his
tory of American trades unions that a
matter of their disputes has been carried
to the court of last resort.
The American Federation of Labor, as
most of our readers are aware, is the
great central organization of trades union
ism in the United States since the col
lapse and disruption of the Knights of
Labor. 1t numbers among its affiliated
organizations a very large proportion of
the trades unions of the country, for
whose interests it works on Legislative
lines, and by using the collective power
and influence of all in aid or defense of
any of its affiliated bodies.
The National Association of Stationary
Engineers is powerful and influential
organization, founded on educational
lines, and its constitution explicitly states
that it is not a trades union in the gen
eral acceptance of the term, questions of
hours or wages not being considered in
the proceedings of its subordinate lodges
Between the two there has been consid-
cradle friction for some years, due to the
fact that in labor troubles, strikes or lock-
outs, the engineers refuse to take part by
abandoning their positions, such action
being forbidden by the law of their or
ganization.
They claim, however, to have no an
tagonism to trades unions, and are will
ing at all times to render them their moral
support in controversies in which they
believe the unions to be right, but insist
that in self-protection they must hold
aloof in trade disputes, because when
these are finally settled or compromised
the engineer is left to shift for himself if
he has been so unwise as to abandon his
post and so incur the ill-will of his em-
ployer. The organization affiliated with
the Federation on the other hand assert
that the engineers through the course
adopted by them are an instrumentality
in aiding employers in case of strikes to
defeat the men by keeping the plants in
operation. The Federation, therefore
considers itself justified in antagonizing
the National Association of Engineers,
and in furthering and aiding the interests
of the other organizations of engineers
which are chartered by it and subject to
its laws and rules.
The Chicago trouble originated over the
employment by contractor for munich
pal work of John c. Whistler member
of Chicago Lodge No. As, N. A. S. f
In this instance a city ordinance passed
at the demand or request of the labor
unions required that union labor only
should be employed on the work. II
also appears that Whistler joined the N
A. S. +. previous to taking employment
on the contract in an effort to evade the
provisions of the ordinance. The Hoist
ing Engineers Union of Chicago de
manded his discharge as a non-unior
man or else that he join their organiza
ton. II is alleged that failing to force
him to join the union, the local Fedora
ton people brought pressure on the city
officials to compel the contractor to dis
charge him. The National Association
of Stationary Engineers then got out a
writ of injunction restraining the city Off
Gals from enforcing the union labor
clause, claiming it to be unconstitutional
and in direct conflict with the "Bill OF
Rights.
On hearing of the proceedings in in
junction the court decided that the city
of Chicago had the legal right to insert
the union labor clause; that its provisions
were therefore binding on its contractor,
and its enforcement obligatory by him in
the hiring of his workmen under the law
of contract. The case was then submitted
by the Chicago subordinate lodges of the
National Association of Stationary Engi-
neers to the annual convention of that
body in Pittsburg, Penn, two weeks ago
in an appeal to tie convention to carry
the question to the Supreme Court. This
the delegates at first refused to do, claim
ing that the Chicago lodge erred in taxi
ing Whistler into membership while he
had controversy of this nature on his