The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1901-09-06
1 SYMPATHETIC STRIKE.

While the strike of the Amalgamated
association is occupying the cent:r ring
iu the big tent. there is another exhEoi-
ton in side tent that is fully as in
teresting and nearly AS important.
San Francisco is tied up from hotel to
wharf by a sympathetic strike. VIII CHI was
started without grievance, and which is
likely to end in the obiiteration of the
unions involved. The effect of this strike
IS not confined to the city, but extends
TO the ocean commerce ana the fruit
growing regions of the interior. The
metropolis of California is in a state of
commerce al siege. adj because the union
draymen decided to rule the roost.
When the Epworth league convention
met in that city, the contract for
handling the baggage was let to Morton
Bros. a non-union draying company. The
task proving too great for their capacity,
they called upon a union company to as
sist. This request was granted by the
union company, but the union drivers re-
Other union companies which were ap-
pealed to met with the same refusal from
their men, who were, of coursa, dis
charged for refusing to work. The mat
ter was taken up by the Transfers union
and a general strike ordered. 1t will be
observed that no complaint was offered.
1t was simply case of union monopoly,
or d strike. It was a repetition of Shat
fer's tactics, but in the San Francisco
case no trust offered an excuse, feeble Of
course. but Still an excuse The teamsters
were not afraid of being crushed beneath
the iron heel of monopoly, oh, no, not
that but they proposed that no man who
was not a member of the union should
be allowed TO earn living.
Not being strong enough to make any
impression, the Transfers appealed to
the Porers' and Packers unions. who,
throbbing with sympathy over the op-
preston of the poor teamsters, ordered
a sympathetic strike. Still the work went
On. Tie strike must he lost unless help
can be secured from other quarters. Ac-
cordingiy the City Front Federation,
which comprises all the laborers on the
water front, sailors, longshoremen,
stevedores, and marine firemen, joined
the fight against non-union draymen.
1t was thought that such an array
would tie up the city in such way that
non-unon men would have to take to the
pike, but here as in the East, the strikers
cverestimated their influence with the
public. An employers association was
formed to keep the business of the city
moving, by ignoring the unions and
bringing in non-uni0n men. Gradually
the places of the strikers are being taken
and the prospects for an early resump-
tion of normal business are encouraging.
The effect of this strike is similar to
that of the Amalgamated Most of the
men who went out on the sympathetic
racket had contracts with their employ
ers which they wantonly violated. They
did not even pretend to grievance of
their own, neither did they claim that
the Transfers union had grievance,
other than desire to GUST non-union men,
As a consequence these employers now
refuse to treat with n union which has
no respect for contracts and from which
no redress can be obtained. The city
will suffer much in demonstrating to the
satisfaction Of the unions that such pro-
ceedings will not be tolerated, but the
lesson viii be effectual. The theory of
sympathetic strikes will be anything but
popular among the men who once be-
longed to a union. This principle of
union domination had 10 be fought out
some time. and 1901 is as good as any
sime to do the act. The labor atmosphere
will be clearer hereafter for the scotch
ing of this serpent.