Omaha daily bee., 1902-06-28
MACHINISTS LET OUT
Union Pacific Discharges Another Big
Portion Of Its Workmen.
OVER HUNDRED AND FIFTY GIVEN CHECKS
Action Complexities Trouble Between Rail-
road Company and shOpmsn.
THOUSAND DROPPED FROM PAYROLL
Mach nists Present Demands Again and
will Meet officials Today,
THOUSAND DROPPED FROM PAYROLL
WILL STRIKE UNLESS COMPANY YIELDS
Car Builders and Union PaciHc
Reach Mutually satisfactory
Terms After Continuous Con-
ferences Lasting Five Days.

One hundred and thirty-seven machipista
and helpers were discharged by the Union
Pacihc from its Omaha shops Friday even
| ing, and about twenty-five from the shops
| at Armstrong. Kan. One hour and a half
before these men we're informed that they
| need not report for work this morning tho
company reached the amieable terms with
! its car builders, with whom officials have
been in conference for fve days. Scarcely
had the car builders committee left tho
private Office of Superintendent of Motive
Power Mexican. perfectly satisfied with
| their settlement. than the committee from
the machinists' union entered, was formally
received, presented its grievances and we're
| told to call at the office this morning at 10
| o'clock for conference with the officials
These are the most recent developments
in the Union Pacific labor situation. The
company now seems to be the aggressor.
Within the last week 1t has discharged
| over 1000 men from various shops on its
system and still maintains that II can
| continue the operation of its shops with
the minimum force left.
Car Builders Reach Settlement.
The car builders and the company effected
| a settlement with which both sides affirm
their entire satisfaction. The agreement 10
in the form of a compromise, the company
acceding to part of the advance In wages
by the car builders. The agreement was
signed by the oficials and the members
Of the committee and the men returned
to their homes and today will return to
their work. This element of discord at
! least is eliminated from the threatened
labor war.
The machinists are still the pivot Of
the situation. II the company can arrange
terms with them the whole strike may be
brought to an abrupt end; II not a general
strike, including possibly every mechanical
department OF the Union Pacific system,
will be declared, according to the statement
Of the mechanics. Immediately. The pros
poets Of a settlement with the machinists
upon the basis Of their present demands
| is. to say the least, remote. The demands
| are those which have once been rejected BY
the company and from interviews with some
of the officials It does not appear that there
| is any more disposition upon the company'I
part now to grant these demands than there
| was in the first place.
willing to Hear Men.
However, tho offcials assert their will
| ingness to accord fair and thorough hear
ing and it is barely possible some kind Of
a settlement can be made whereby a strike
can be averted. The machinists declare
they will not yield one ota from their
present position, but in the face OF this
declaration they assert their anxiety to
make peaceable terms and avert a strike.
The machinists still lay great emphasis
upon their ability to endure a prolonged
battle II necessary. They have espoused the
cause OF the boilermakers and both organi-
cations have the cooperation OF their ma
tional bodies. Two of the machinists' ma
tional leaders, r. W. Roderick and T. L.
Wilson OF Chicago and St. Paul, respec-
| lively, are on the ground. ready to lend
a hand In the direction OF the fight No
move will be made, however, until after the
| conference which the machinists begin this
morning with the officials at headquarters
Unionists Expect to win.
The machinists and boilermakers look
upon the action Of the company in discharg-
| ing its men as a means of winning the
| tight. They believe there is some effort
| at intimidation and persist in the state
ment that the company has chosen a very
! ineffective course to pursue. They main
tain that 1t is utter folly for the company
| to think II can get along without machinists
and boilermakers in its shops and that un-
| less matters are brought to a settlement
! by other means within very short time the
company will be forced to yield in order
| to carry its business.
| According TO a statement made a Union
Pacific oficial, those men who we're let out
yesterday were given regular discharge
checks and how long they will remain out
OF the employ Of the company is a ques-
tion. 1t is urged by the company that their
| discharge is not a stroke OF retaliation at
| the workmen or unions, but due to a lack
| OF work, Since the strike OF the boiler
| makers, which was followed by the heavy
| reduction of the general force a week ago
today, the shops have been generally de-
moralized and the work necessarily done
| with very little system. The ofhcials sum
| up the situation now by saying that the
men yesterday were let out simply because
| there was no work for them to do. They
do not pretend to say how long they will
be idle, but volunteer the statement that
so far as matters now exist they may be
taken back in the employ Of the company
II they want to return when normal condi-
tions are established.
Only Handful of Men Left.
There are left in the machinists' depart
ment OF the Omaha shops about twenty.
hve men, barely enough, the oficials say,
to carry on the work alone. They main
| tain that their anairs were In such good
shape when the trouble arose that they are
not in need OF many men. Asked II set
tlement Is effected between the machinists
| and later with the boilermakers normal
conditions would be restored at the shops,
representative OF the company last night
said they would not, Normal conditions,
he said, would not be restored until the de-
mands Of the company's business war
| ranted IT,
The general impression among tho men
is that the situation has been greatly COM
plicated by the action OF the company and
they consider this action injurious to the
company's side OF the controversy.
The boilermakers are quietly awaiting
the outcome OF the machinists conferences
with the officials. As these two unions