The Worthington advance. [volume] (Worthington, Minn.) 1874-1908, 1902-07-11
!. STRIKE IS Settled. | | | 1
! CHICAGO FREIGHT HANDLERS Ac'
- I cEPT TERMS OFFERED BY
:. j .s5 :<5* (. RAILROADS. S>ss y q
INCREASED WAGES GIVEN

) INCREASED WAGES GIVEN
I Companies Grant an Advance2of Twen-
~ty Per Cent, the Strikers Having pc.
K ,manded Thirty-Aoreement Must Be
Ratified at Mass Meeting Of the Men.
sTsamsters Refusing Ald = Potent
z Factor in the Settlement
l.; Chicago, July 10.-The strike of the
freight handlers is virtually settled.
Meetings of the strikers will be held
during the day to ratify the action TAX
en- BY President Curran Of the order,
but, as he stated after conference
with the general managers Of the rail-
: roads that he had agreed to their
terms because majority OF his men
were t.going back" ON him. there is lit
tie doubt that the terms. will be &C.
.cepted by. the mass, meeting OF the
strikers '>-%.s. ~. : = "
;'sr@ oy7tuS t0EAu0 VI Tic o0SsASAA0Ae sAo
strikers accept the schedule OF wages
) offered them BY the railroads July !.
This schedule was emphatically re-
fused by the strikers at the time it
! was made: It offered an&average IN
crease Of 20 per cent for Ill classes Of
labor connected With the Freight
Handlers union. The demands .of the
men would have made an average In
crease OF about 80 per cent. The rail-
roads at the time Of Offering the in.
crease on July said that under no
circumstances would they recognize
the union of the freight handlers to
the extent Of allowing the officers of
= the organization to make terms for the
men with the officers 1t the railroads
by which they were employed. This
was one of the chief reasons for the
strike, the men insisting. that the
union should be- fully Recognised. The
p, railroads have won q complete victory
on this point. The attitude Of the
roads, towards the Freight Handlers
union is the same as that maintained
toward all local organizations of rail
road men. The freight handlers de-
mandedt something that no other Or
ganization OF railEoad employees In Chi
cago had asked, and the mana GERS an
nouhced that under, no circumstances
would they agree to this. - ,..E. L.
The railroads agree to take back all
the strikers who, will apply or. their
aold positions by noon. +; !. S ". S7'5
: ( settlement cane U1sxpsttedty:.:,
:. The settlement Of the strike, came
unexpectedly :: The, meetings during
the day Of various committees with the
general managers Of the railroads did
not produce much result, neither side
making concessions. ~ y.
When the committees had reported
back to the executive council Of the
strikers meeting of that body was
!, held. Several Of the officials Of the
Chicago. Federation Of Labor, includ-
ing President Bowman, were present.
The, officers of the federation. used
every means to induce the strikers to
accept the: terms offered them, but
without avail. The: proposition finally
was made that the matter of an agree
ment with the railroads should be left
with President Curran and President
Bowman of the Federation, with full
power to act. A meeting was then ar
ranged with q committee of the gen.
:eral managers Of the railroads, who
had full power of settlement on: their
side. The result was that President
Curran agreed to accept the basis of
increase offered by the railroads July
/. The action >of the teamsters was .
potent factor iii settling the strike.
They took strong issue with the freight
handlers, and intimated, very plainly
that no assistance could be expected
from them, inasmuch as the freight
handlers had struck against the ad-
, vice$of the Chicago Federation of La
Dor. j.
- The session of the executive council
came to sudden termination, and
Presidents Curran and Bowman left
for the meeting with general man
ayers. - ~.
The agreement reached by President
C,1rran with the managers must be
ratified by the men, but there is only
a very small probability that this will
not be done. = . ~ !. , =: =.