Omaha daily bee., 1899-12-03
UNlONISM CROWS IN OMAHA
LESSONS Suggested by Two Recently Ad-
justed Industrial Controversies.
SUCCESSFUL STRUGGLE FoRNNE-HoURDA DAY
Nearly Forty Trades Unions with
Hend1unrtcrs Mt Labor Temple
Institution More than Self
supporting.

The fact that the allied unions connected
with the conduct Of two prominent indus
tries have recently won decided victories in
contests over the wage scale has attracted
attention to the lourishing condition OF
unionism in Omaha
Trades organizations have banked upon
the generally acknowledged improvement IN
commerce and industry to justify them in
seeking such Improvement of the condition
OF their members as may arise from short
ening OF working hours and an increase in
the per diem compensation. They have con-
tended that as long as prosperity is restored
'he laboring man is entitled to experience a
share of it in increased remuneration. Such
Is the general thought expressed among
union workmen.
On the other hand employers generally
claim that, having borne the brunt of hard
times for years they are entitled to a sea-
son OF respite from increased wages in which
10 recuperate from the effects of the long
and severe depression.
These conflicting claims may be said to
have been the sole foundation of the recent
strike among the harness and saddlemak-
ers OF Omaha, and on that line the con-
troVersy was fought out. 1t is safe to say
that II the leather workers strike had been
inaugurated a few weeks earlier it would
49, H"'V iNSuiNbi IN u victory LOT I0e men,
1t was timed to occur just when the house
was full OF orders and when any disarrange-
ment of the working forces must have occa-
stoned great loss to the employing jobbers.
IL was apparent during the progress of this
strike that neither employers nor employees
were Indifferent to the advantages of a
speedy settlement The men seemed to ap-
preciate the fact that a failure to reach an
agreement might mean great hardship to
them. Most of them are men of family and
some own homes in the city A failure TO
come to an amicable agreement meant a mi
grafton to some other city for most of them
and new start among strangers. On the
other hand failure to come to terms meant
for the employers not only immediate loss
or account Of inability to fill pending orders
but also such loss and uncertainty as always |
result from the hiring of full new force |
and its organization. 1t often requires sew
eral months to effect reorganization of |
force or 100 men so that its work may be |
effective. This consideration is always |
strong with employers and played its part |!
in the adjustment of the leather workers |
strike.
Nine-HOur Day Struggle.
This was undoubtedly the weightiest con-
sideration actuating proprietors in the set
tlement OF the recent controversy between
employing printers and members of the
printing trades unions over the nine hour
day. The allied printing trades have long
been working for the establishment of a
nine-hour day. In the newspaper offices an
eight hour day prevails, but up to a year
ago the working time in job printing offices
was ten hours. except where local conditions
had brought a different arrangement.
Al meeting in Syracuse, N. Y, in Octo-
ber, 1898, committees from the national or
of printers, pressmen, press
feeders and bookbnders, and one 1
from the national organization of {
Employing printers, agreed upon the
OF nine-hour day.
he plan being to lop off half hour Novem-
per 21, 1898, and the other half hour on the
same date in 1899 No provision was made
rs to the wages to be paid under the reduced
working time, as the regulation of schedules
8 matter that Is left to local unions
This reduction in working time, however
vas supposed to be obligatory upon both en-
,loyers and employed and when the first half
lour was taken off both employers and en- !
'loyes of Omaha establishments made con-
'essions in that direction, but would insist /
IN the same wages, or higher than were paid $
or the nine and half hours. The printers
demanded that their wages remain the same +
or nine hours as they had been receiving c
or nine and a half, while the pressmen,
and bookbinders wanted an in =
rease. The propretors announced fixed .
determination not to yield to these demands, t
laming that to do so would lead to threat
ned bankruptcy. because the new scale .
would render them unable to compete with n
rinting establishments in such surrounding L
tiles Lincoln, Sioux City, Des Moines,
1t. Joe and other cities which had lower I
Gales and could underbd them. P
When the clash came a week ago conces- d
ions were made by some of the unions but
he printers insisted on their scale as orig s
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