New-York tribune., 1900-03-19
MANY MA CHLNLSTS TO STRIKE
FAILURE OF EFFORT TO SECURE
ARBITRATION IN CHICAGO-WILL
ORDER OUT A HUNDRED
THOUSAND MEN

OINDEh W n hONDhf4D
THOUSAND MEN
Chicago. March 1S-Af;er the conference between
representatives of the Internal Association
Machinists and the Administrative Council of the
National Metal Trades Association ended at so
o'clock this morning President James O'Connell
of the union declared that strikes would be called
Immediately in all parts of the United States and
Canada. Such strikes would involve one hundred
thousand men and cause to be shut down for
indefinite period plants having aggregate capital
of millions of dollars
Chicago labor troubles are responsible for the
disagreement which is expected to preclpltate the
general machinists' strike. Were it not for the
fact that leaders of the Machn!sts' Union refused
to call off the strikes that exist in Chicago,
Columbus, Ohio and Paterson. " j.. the
facturers and the leaders 1t is believed would
have come to amicable agreement, and ar5itra-
tion would have been permanently established be-
tween the National Metal Trades Association and
the International Association of Machnists.
The members of the Executive Board of the Ma
chinists' Union. however. refused to call off the
chicago strike, as they declared that il they did
the Chicago local would secede from the
international Association. Wien the refusal of
machinists 10 end the trike presented 10 the
manufacturers they issued an uItimatum to the
labor leaders, and their refusal TO agree to
It's provisions all negotiations We're broken off.
Before leaving the rooms in which the joint
conference was held President James OCocneu OF
the International Union declared that the union
would begin Immediately call strikes in all parts
or the country. The first of these strikes will be
called In Cleveland. After all the large cities have
been tied up strikes will be called in the machine
shops OF all the railroads in the country
The joint conference which began at O'Clock
Saturday afternoon. and did end until 1SO
O'Clock Sunday morning. was held at the Grand
racine Hotel. There were present, representing
the Machinists Union, the president James O'Con-
nell Washington: the organizer, Stuart Reed.
Toledo; Hugh Doran Chicago; y. w. Holmes Buff
falo; P ]. Conlin. Sioux City. and ]. J. Connolly.
Boston.
The manufacturers at the conference were George
e. Seldom, Erie Iron Works Erie. Penn; F. II.
Stiliman, Watson-Stiman Company New-York:
W. NJ. Taylor Chandler & Taylor Company In
dianapols; Walter Laidlaw. Dunne-Gordon Com
pany' Cincinnati: W. II. FOyt. Gates Iron Works
Chicago; NJ H. Barker American Tool and Ma
chine Company, Boston; George II. Watts Watts
campbell Company, Boston; II. y. Leland Leland
Faikener, Detroit; j. w. Gardiner, Gardiner
Grovenor Company. Quincy. Ill; F. W. Pillsbury
Frederick Wolf Company, Chicago: Charles AIIts
Edward p. Allis Company Milwaukee; Frederick
Schwelmann, Wagner Electric Manufacturing
Company. St Louis; w. j. Chalmers Fraser &
Chalmers. Chicago and England; H. F. Devans
New-1ork; p W. Gates. Gates Iron Works Chi
cago; Charles r. Newcombe, Erie Iron Works
Erie Penn; H. n. Covell, Lidgerwood Manufact-
urng Company. Brooklyn: A. ]. Caldwell Pump
Trust. New-Jersey
AFTER meeting in separate conferences all the
"tte44OOtI tle manufacturers and labor leaders
pcsan Joint meeting at p At this meeting
the manufacturers submitted the machinists a
proposal for arbitration substantially as follows:
All strikes and lockouts be called of. An arbi-
the two G9nS5nS a1d & OF the Pgedents Of
2ssoclation: who shall arbitrate all present and
future difficulties, and whose decision shall be
accepted as final by both parties the agreement
On the second proposition the two associations
were united The labor leaders after holding a
meeting refused to agree to the first proposition
Z and b,,,fr+ +oI
rate arbitration of the Chicago difficulty This the
manufacturers refused to ratfy ard the coufercens
broke up. both sides making what amounted to a
formal declaration of The declaration of the
machiniss took the form of threats of an interna-
| tonal strike made by President O'Connen and
Organizer Reed.
The manufacturers presented their side of the
question in resolutions, the substance of which
follows:
Whereas, The administrative council of the Ma
tional Metal Trades Association has in Chi
cago for the express purpose of considering the
e8es4e od oces the %h
of Machinsts relating to the arbitration of any
the two associa tionS; and
of the Interna tonal Association of Machinists, in
0Tm of tb agreement ,ndPrsed bV the National
Meta Trades Association this day. but had sgni
fed mis- intention to call his Executive Council to-
seWheF so ras Ths ESesave sf G the
national Association of Machinists now refuses TO
sign said agreement, giving as reason therefor
that they cannot control the local unions and will
not order men back TO work prior 20 arbitration
taking place and being concluded; and
Whereas 1t is the fundamental principle OF the
National Metal Trades Association to arbitrate
labor disputes only in the absence of strikes and
lockouts now, therefore. be ii
Resolved. That the form OF joint agreement this
day unanimously adopted by the Administrative
Council of the National Metal Trades Association
and presented to the executive officers of the Inter
national Association OF Machnists is the best and
only proposition which the National Metal Trades
has to make And this COMMITTEES presents Ihe
agreement to the Executive Committee of the In
ternational Association of MachinStS and requests
them accept by affixing their official sig
nature. and notify them that this association is
ready to sign the agreement jointly with them.
NAY BE SERIOUS TROUBLE IN CHICAGO.