Republican news item. [volume] (Laport, Pa.) 1896-19??, 1901-07-25
LARTE PMNA, THURSDAY JULY @ 1901
FIREMEN'S STRIKE OFF.
Men Will Probably Return To
Work Tomorrow Morning.
WANT POSITIONS BACK, HOWEVER

Their Cause Hopeless, Owing to Stand
Taken by United Mine Worker ),
Who Were Opposed to Strike from
the Beginning.
Wilkesbarre. Pa, July 22.-The sta
tionary firemen's strike will soon be
at an end. A meeting of the executive
officers of the United Mine Workers
Of the three anthracite districts and
the chief executive officers of the Sta
tionary Firemen's Association was
held in this city yesterday for the
purpose of discussing the situation
The United Mine Workers have all
along been kind of lukewarm in their
support of the strike, and the firemen
insisted that they define their position
once for all, as it was impossible to
carry on the strike If the United Mine
Workers opposed 1t.
T. d. Nichols, president of District
No. 1. United Mine Workers, opened
the discussion. He said the strike
was inopportune at this time. 1t was
detrimental to the miners who were
under agreement with the operators to
remain at work for one year, and II the
United Mine Workers remained out it
would mean the sacrifice of the good
will of the coal operators. President
Fahey, of the Ninth district, also spoke
against the strike. He claimed the
strike was inopportune a this time,
and that his men were opposed to 1t.
President Duffy. of the Seventh dis
trict said the firemen in his district
did not go out on strike. This showed
lack of unity, and the strike could not
succeed.
Secretary Gerrity spoke of the fire
men and the sacrifices that had been
made for true union principles. He
said the strike had been declared by
the unanimous vote of 200 delegates.
1t was plain from the discussion that
the United Mine Workers were over
whelmingly against the continuance
of the strike. The firemen realized
this. and they submitted the following
ers:
1. Will you withdraw all men OF
your organization from our positions
II the strike Is declared off? 2. Will
you use your influence to have all en-
gineers and others reinstated to their
former positions IL the strike is de.
clared off? 3. VIII you allow us to
meet United Mine Workers in joint
conference and to present grievances
at the same time?
To the first two questions Yes"
was given. TO the third this reply was
made: Yes, if you join the United
Mine Workers"
A resolution was then adopted, call.
ing on the grievance committee of the
Firemens Association to call on each
coal company to-day and ascertain II
the men who went out on strike Tues
day will be given back their positions.
These committees are to make a re.
port to the same joint committee
which met here yesterday, and If the
replies from the companies are IA
vorable then the strike will be Off
cially declared off tonight.
The general impression is that the
companies will allow the strikers to re.
turn to their old positions. The fire.
men issued statement last night. in
which they said in part: But should
any one now out of employment owing
to the strike be Disseminated against,
the end would be as far off as ever,
as the firemen are determined to stand
by those who sacrificed their positions
before they would take our places"