Omaha daily bee., 1902-07-10
Majority Of Men Favor the 0Ompany's Pro.
posed Premium Scale.
CARMEN CONTINUE At WORK AS USUAL
NOnunion Men Lead the Agitation for {
WalkOut,
NIGHT AND DAY SHIFT At GRAND ISLAND
Union PacIac said TO BE Making Ar
ranRements 10 Double or Treble
Capacity of NOnunion
Shop.

The brotherhood Of Railway Carmen did
not meet last night to take hnal action
upon the agreement entered into with the
Union Pacific by their committee, as was
expected. but will hold its meeting tonight
at its hall at Fourteenth and Douglas
Prominent union car builders believe the
agreement will be generally adopted ana
q strike averted. An active member Oh
the brotherhood said last night regarding
the car builders situation;
There is not as much dissatisfaction
over the agreement entered into between
the company and the local car builders as
has been represented. There are few
agitators who would like to precipitate
strike and some Of these have been circu-
lating a petition for this purpose even since
the local car builers adopted the agreement
at our meeting Monday afternoon, and this.
/ suppose, has given rise to much OF the
alleged dissension. The most Of these agi-
tators are nonunion men, too. believe that
there are not more than three union car
builders in Omaha today who are opposed
to that agreement.
Proposition Not Understood.
''The trouble is the men over the sys-
tenn and here who are finding so much fault
with the company's proposition do not thor
simple piecework proposition, when as
matter of fact 1t is nothing OF the kind.
The company says: we will guarantee
every man in the car shops as much money
as he made under the former system Now
in the case of the car builders this would
be 80 cents an hour. But the proposition
does not stop here. The company further
offers to pay every man as much over 30
cents an hour as he may earn; for instance,
II I earn $4 a day instead of only So, get
that amount. But in any event Will get
my IS a day. Now, that is not, properly
speaking, a piecework system; 1t Ia what
we call a premium system. I believe this
is the very best system that could be
adopted, and It's adoption does not mean
simply a victory for the company. but as
much victory for the men and even more
So"
Waiting for Out-Of-Town Men.
II was impossible to hold the meeting last
night as not all the shops out on the
line had been heard from. BY tonight II Is
expected all will have been heard from.
and what action is taken tonight will be
hnal. II is already known by some OF
the local men that Grand Island and Chey-
enne are favorable to the adoption of the
new agreement. and they are of the opin-
have voted likewise.
This agreement, II adopted, will be ef-
feotive for one year The Union Pacific Of
hcials have made the statement that II at
the end OF that time II proves unsatisfac-
tory they will then be ready to consider
making concessions, but they insist that
after a years trial the carmen will not be
willing to abandon It.
At the meeting Monday afternoon the
proposition was adopted by the Omaha
shopmen by a vote of 40 to 27, and the ma
jority OF the negative votes are said to
have been cast by nonunion men, who are
blamed with the agitation for a strike.
All at Work Yesterday.
All the car builders were at work yes
terday as usual and there was no indica-
tion OF trouble except the quiet campaign
ing done by the nonunlon faction that was
displeased with the result of things at the
Monday meeting. The railroad officials
gave out the report that the car builders
department was keeping up it's work to
the highest standard Of efficiency and there
was nothing about the shops to Indicate a
semblance or thought OF strike. They con-
slider the matter already settled.
The company continues In the business
OF importing men from Chicago, The off,
cials hold that these men are more COM
petent than generally accredited, and that
by their assistance conditions at the shops
are very satisfactory.
There is little active work being done
by the machinists and bollermakers. They
are both as determined as when they went
out and are attending to the routine Of
their strike. Vice President Wilson. the
leader Of the machinists' faction. will leave
he, F,a N.N, a.
fem, visiting all the towns and cities where
4here are shops. with a view OF strength
ening the interests Of the strikers.
Grand Island situation.
The Union Pacific II is reported, is pre-
pairing TO install a night and day shift in
its shops at Grand Island and thus double
or treble the capacity for and volume OF
work there. This has never been a union
shop and but two Of the employees were
union men when the strike originated.
These went out, but none OF the others
have ever struck. They are still at work
and Will be used as a nucleus to form a
large force. II was said this morning that
the company intended putting in 200 or
500 shOpmen there The shops have never
been run to their full capacity.
VIII Prosecute AsHaIIants.
Union Pacific oficial stated yesterday
that for an assault upon an employe Of the
company at Denver by three former en-
ployes Sunday the company would en-
deavor to have the trio OF rioters sent "a
the .penitentiary. According to one of the
ofneials the man was returning from his
work ct the shops when three strikers. who
had been his friends. called to him. Sup
posing they wanted TO engage In friendly
chat the shopm~n stopped. He was violently
assaulted, 1t is charged. sustaining serious
injuries,
The ofheials persistently deny the re-
ports that Pinkerton detectives have beer
placed on guard at Denver or anywhere else
on the Union Pacific system. but they ad-
init that special instructions have beer
sent TO Denver 20 have the force OF pri.