The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1901-07-31
STRIKE ON AT FRISCO
ENTIRE CITY FRONT FEDERATION
WALKS OUT.
INCLUDES FOURTEEN UNIONS.
FIGHT IS BETWEEN EMPLOYERS
AND UNIONISM.

The Federation HIS a Full Member
ship of $4,000 and Includes 5000
Men Now at Sea-AII the Sailors.
LongshOremen and Marine ana
Wharf Workers Generally Quit
WOrk-Shipping Is Almost Para
lyzed and the Big Companies Are
without Union Man-WhOlesaIe
Houses May Close.
San Francisco, July 30.-The labor
trouble in this city reached a crisis to-
day. Maritime traffic and labor along
shore are nearly at a standstill and
industries are almost totally paralyzed.
The order for general walk-out of
the city front federation, which COM
prises fourteen unions and organiza-
tions, with full membership of about
$1,000, was made effective this morning.
Three thousand of these men are en-
ployed at sea or in other cities and
the strike order does not apply to them
until they return to San Francisco.
Twelve thousand men obeyed the or
der to-day The city front federation
is composed of the following organiza-'
tions:
Sailors Union of the Pacific, four To-
cal unions of the longshoremen, ma
rine firemen, Brotherhood of Teamsters,
Ship and Steamboat Joiners, porters,
packers, warehouse men. ship clerks,
bridge builders, hosting engineers,
steam and hot-water filters, and coal
teamSterS.
When the order to walk out went in
to effect all the big shippingcompa-
nies, with one exception, were left
without a union man. BY a special
agreement entered into some time ago
between the Pacific Coast Steamship
+ Company and the Firemen's Union,
firemen remained on the vessels of that
company Four coasting steamers.
ship and a schooner were the only yes
sells that went to sea.
Employers Versus UniOnism.
1t is claimed by the officers of all
the organizations involved that the
strike is not purely an expression of
sympathy with the union of teamsters,
or any other body of workers who are
In dispute with their employers, but is
a taking up of the gauntlet thrown
down by the Employers Association.
In other words, the City Front Fed
Grafton is determined to defend the
principle of unionism, which the asso-
ciated employers have announced their
intention to crush out, Both sides
seem determined to carry the fight on,
and all efforts on the part of the May
or and others to bring about con-
ciliatory settlement have thus far
proved unavailing. 1t is reported, un-
authoritatively, that several of the
larger. wholesale houses will close un-
til the strike is settled.
May Completely Tie Up Business.
There is every prospect that many
other unions will be drawn into the
fight, in which case the business of
the city will be completely tied up.
Several disturbances occurred to-day,
and the first really serious fight since
the trouble commenced took place be-
tween party of strikers and two ne
gro drivers imported from the interior.
The negroes state they were attacked
and fired into the strikers in self-de-
fense. One man, a striker, who hap
pened to be crossing the street near
the scene of the trouble, was slightly
injured. The strikers claim the shoot
ing was unprovoked. The union
men were arrested but were released
on bail. Several fights occurred on the
water front, and the police were COM
one was seriously injured.
Transports Not Yet AFFECTED.
The transport service has not yet
been seriously affected. But few of
the firemen and sailors are union men.
The greater part of its cargo has been
placed on the Fitzpatrick, scheduled TO
sail Thursday for Manila. A consign-
ment of flour remained to be placed
aboard, and a gang of men were Sc
cured in the vicinity of the Folsom
street wharf. The ma ajority of the men
are those who have been employed
continuously on government vessels.
The Meade is the next vessel to be
loaded. She is scheduled to sail on
Aug. 16. Under present conditions the
work will continue as before the strike,
but in the event that men cannot be
secured, it is said, the soldiers at the
Preside will be called on to load the