The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1898-08-23
PLUMBERS ON A STRIKE
They Insist on the Reinstatement
of q Discharged Journeyman.
NO PLUMBING IN TOWN
Mr.. Kruger avs He Discharged the
Man Because His Work Was Unsatis-
factory-Union Orders a General
Strike Throughout Butte.

No plumbing was lone in any part of
the city yesterday, the journeyman
plumbers of the city going on strike at
the time for beginning work yesterday
morning, to enforce the reinstatement
of a journeyman who had been dis
charged Saturday evening by Isado
KRUGER. as the j~ourneymen claim,
without cause.
Edward Bisbee, a journeyman plumb
er, is the man over whose discharge
the strike was ordered. Bisbee was in
the employ of Mr.. Kruger, one of the
boss plumbers, aud was engaged on a
Job OF some considerable proportions.
Mr.. Kruger was dissatisfied with the
character of his work and on Friday
evening when he ran out of a certain
kind OF material and did not expect 1t
to arrive for some days, Mr.. Kruger
took advantage of the opportunity to
discharge Bisbee. Saturday, contrary
to expectations, Mr.. Kruger procured
the material and at once resumed work
on the Job, putting another man TO
work.
Bisbee, hearing Of the fact. entered
complaint TO his union and the matter
was at once taken up. A meeting was
A1tAd III II "oo NfNAANb " tIuAl 10
bees reinstatement. Accordingly. on
Saturday evening, William McGill,
eva of the Kruger shop. served
notice IN his employer that Bisbee
would have to be reinstated or all the
journeymen of the city would go on
strike. MI. Kruger declined to rein
state Bisbee, and yesterday morning,
at the time of going 10 work, Mr.. Krue-
ger was asked IL he still declined. on
FnfnrnlnO an a firm tive ranlV the
journeymen went out. All the other
shops in the city were notified and none
of the plumbers went to work. There
are eight shops I'm the city. none of
which had any men at work during the
day. About 40 journeymen plumbers
are affected by the strike.
Mr.. Kruger. when seen yesterday
relative TO the difficulty. said: There
is very little to be said so far "a | am
concerned. Bisbee's work was not sat
isfactory and when | ran out Of a GER
tain kind of material and bad no fur
ther use for him I let him out Friday
night; but finding | could go ahead Sat
urday, l put another nan on the job,
as / consider | had a right to do"
When asked IL the boss plumbers
would hold out and insist on the cor
rectness of his position, Mr.. Kruger re-
piled: II don't know yet. 1 think we
shall do nothing at present, but await
developments"
Other plumbers OF the city state that
they were unfairly treated by the jour
ney1nen, as the latter went out without
serving them any notice of an inten-
ton to strike. Mr.. Kruger is rather
badly Handicapped by the strike. as ne
has several big jobs that are compelled
TO lie idle, and this may force him into
yielding TO the demands of the Journey
men.
The journeymen claim Bisbee Is boy
cotted by the boss plumbers and say
Mr.. Krueger's Xcuse for discharging
Bisbee is only a subterfuge to get rid
of him. They held a meeting yesterday
afternoon and decided to insist on his
reinstatement. The boss plumbers
deny that Bisbee is boycotted by them.
They, too, held a meeting in the after
noon n another las evening to decide
upon the course they win pursue. No
statement OF their decision was given
out, but is said, unauthentically, they
reached a determination to support MI.
Kruger, and unless the journeymen
went back to work to bring in other
men to TAX their places.