Omaha daily bee., 1898-08-16
SETTLES UNION LABOR'S CASE
Board Of Education Gets an Opinion from
Attorney Meikle,
COULD NOT ADOPT COURSE SUGGESTED
Resolution onered by the Building
Trades Council Held to Ne Against
Public Policy-supplementary
Resolutions Adopted.

The strike which is now on among the
employees of the Board of Education had
the floor during a goodly portion Of the
school board meeting last night. This was
anticipated, for when the body was called
together the audience section Of the board
chamber was packed with members OF la
Dor organizations, including the strikers.
and such vantage points as the doors and
corridor were also crowded. This audience
Kissed and cheered as the remarks in the
debate among the board members displeased
or pleased them, despite the hammerings
of Acting President Grafton. who occupied
the chair in the absence of President Jor-
dan. The remainder of the meeting, al
though more full of meat than the sessions
of the board usually are, had no attrac-
tons for the workingmen, for they de-
camped as soon as the labor question was
passed in the proceedings.
The strike situation was first brought
forward in a communication from %Superin-
tendent Of Buildings Banker, in which he
reported that on last Tuesday twenty-siX
painters, four plasterers and one carpenter
quit the service OF the board. He reported
that on Wednesday morning he commenced
putting on new men and at the present time
has all the mechanics that can be used to
advantage. Unless something else develops
the superintendent said the work will be
done in time for the opening of school.
The trouble did not occur, however, until
the report of the committee to which the
matter was referred made its report. This
committee was the one on judiciary. To
1t had been handed the resolutions which
the Building Trades council wished adopted
by the board. These resolutions provided
that, inasmuch as the board does all con-
struction and repair work by day labor
and pays standard union wages to skilled
w%orkmen, all workmen employed by the
board shall be required to be members in
good standing of their respective labor
unions and that all contracts entered into
by the board for constructive and repair
work shall contain a clause STIMULATING the
employment of union labor only.
Only One Signature.
Member Dennis reported that after con-
sulting with the attorney the committed
recommended that the resolutions be placed
on file. Member Dennis signature alone
was attached to this report, but he an
nounced that the other members concurret
in it.
Before the report was put to a vote thu
opinion of School Board Attorney Meikl'
on the resolutions was called for and read
This opinion is an exhaustive document. l
4 L Nla INC nm 'AS'A $780,
right to organize their acts become unlaw
full WIEN against public policy. Then fol
lowed an exhaustive consideration o
whether the contracts as proposed in tn
4 resolutions are against public policy. TIL
attorney described public policy as mean
+ ing the preservation and enjoyment of
citizens rights. The individual citizen a
e a necessity must be left free to adopt an
e follow such calling, profession or trade a
g he may deem most conducive TO that enc
Without this right he is not a free maj
The public policy demands that every cit
N zen shall be fully protected in his persons
rights and the acts of any man or assoc
alton of men which destroy or ~infring
v upon the free enjoyment of these right
by any citizen are against public polio
10 and unlawful"
se Replying direct to the question Of whethe
the contracts asked for would be agains
Is public policy the attorney said: Nov
10 what would be the effect of adopt
ing the resolution proposed and followin
~ the policy therein laid down? The frs
would be that all mechanics now emDloye
1t by the board who do not belong to tn
lie unions must be discharged. Second, no on
who does not belong to the unions coul
obtain employment from the board an
nj compete with those who do belong to tn
,, uulOlS GDOu lut odihC -"
w such persons would therefore be r%estricte
1e in the sale of their labor, in that one
ne the markets for their labor would be close
IT. against them"
VI Against Public Policy.
nv This, the attorney declared, would be lille
| gal and he cited several court decision
u In conclusion he stated: THE only cor
~clusion the writer can deduce from II
r reasoning of the authorities and an analys
he of the institutions of our government
ne that the contracts proposed in the resoll
ar lions would be against public policy ar
he unlawful"
to Member Burgess moved that the who
o. matter be laid on the table, in view OF Il
is exhaustive opinion of the attorney, of Il
lie lengthy discussion that was held a Wet
as ago and of the fact that the labor unioi
have taken the matter out OF the board
of hands.
ol Van Glider charged that this motion W
he made for the purpose Of shutting OH d
TO bate, but Burgess denied that. A roll CT
on was ordered and the motion was carried
ne the following vote:
o. Yeas-Buchanan, Burgess, Dennis, Ora
W ton, Johnson, Kiewit, Moore, Sears-S.
cir Nays, Trey, Penfold, Thomas, Van G
ere der-4.
is Endorses Union Labor.
Ter AS soon as the vote was announced Mel
ess Der Thomas introduced the following res
a. luton:
Whereas, This Board OF Education is n
and has for several years paid the unI
,r scale of wages and has encouraged the b
IL of skilled labor by paying in some ca
more than the union scale; therefore, be /
Resolved, That this board hereby re
sert its confidence in the benefits of un
labor properly organized in the communi
and that we, as members of the board, he
by approve of union labor as a means of
ire cuting and maintaining a reasonable 6