Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1902-07-14
TELL ANOTHER STORY
Strikers Differ with officials as to Number
Of Men Out.
SAY PUBLISHED STATEMENT is WRONG
They Deny that Company Has e5 Per Cent
of Normal Force
TALK OF FloATERs AND UNSKILLED MEN
TALK or FloATERS AND UNsNLLED MEN
Unionists Declare Only Few Competent
Machinists Are at Work.
CONDUCTORS AND BRAKEMEN COMPLAIN
Trainmen on Freights Dissatisfied
with Arrangement of Their Time
Schedules and They VIII
Submit Demand.

Union Pacific strikers take exception to
the figures and statements the ofcals
gave out regarding the number Of men
employed in the various shops. The
strikers assert that in most cases the
statistics are inflated and the claims un-
fair Referring to the statements of the
company, as published Sunday morning, s
H. Grace. one Of the strike leaders and
member OF the machinists executive COM
mittee, said:
"The statement is made by the oficials
that they have a force in their Omaha
shops equal to So per cent Of their full
force, or practically the same-szed force
that was at work prior to the last reduc-
tlon, Just before the walkout. They also
ntate that they have in all departments.
including Council Bluffs, 675 men. as COM
pared with a normal force OF 975 men in
busy times.
Say IL is Misleading.
This statement may be correct SO far
as the number OF employees is concerned,
but 1t certainly is erroneous and mislead-
ing when compared with the facts. In
the first place, the men did not walk out,
but were discharged and paid off without
q moments warning. In the next place,
the s75 men now employed out of a normal
force OF 975, are not boilermakers, ma
chinists or blscksmiths, but men employed
In other branches OF the railway service,
and, therefore, a statement Of this kind
made by any oficial of the Union Pacific
company is intended to mislead and hood
wink the public. The statement that they
have a force at present working equal
to 65 per cent OF their normal force of
boilermakers and machinists is--to use no
stronger expression-also misleading.
Striker Gives Figures.
what are the facts?"
They have no blacksmiths. two ship
yard riveters that they call boilermakers
and four men that the claim to be ma
chlnists; all the rest they may have are
1oaters-men who have been cast out Of
our organization.
AT Council Bluffs they have none and
are dependent upon the clans Of men have
tust qerrrihad ~ 8 u ars1Ass ssss.s a
III this 10 65 per cent Of the normal force
they cannot have employed more than
about ten men when quite busy. Can the
public be deceived by the garbled state
ments Of these ofncials? think not.
THE statement by the ofhcial as to the
number Of employed at different points on
their system is ON par with their state
ment from Omaha. The facts are:
Omaha six. Council Bluffs none, Colum-
bus one. Grand Island three, two ma
chinists and one boilermaker on car gang.
North Platte has three foaters, Denver
four, Kansas City six. Cheyenne four,
Rawlins three, one capable man. Evanston
hve, one handy man, four mechanics;
Green River two and Ogden none. This
is the stock In trade of mechanics in the
Union Pacific shops.
Fight for Existence.
I'VE are engaged in a fight with the
Union Pacific for the very existence Of our
association and to preserve the life of
unionism. Our fight IL won means the
abolition OF piecework. a system that
wherever introduced has worked destruc-
tion TO us as mechanics. When piecework
Is introduced in these shops there is an
end to any sort Of united action among
the workmen. for each man will be dealt
with individually and the price of his labor
viii be fixed by his employer through him
alone. This will result In an admixture OF
prices for the same article and end in a
fiat reduction. After time another COM
plication OF prices will occur, for believe
the employer will, by the Introduction o!
special machines endeavor TO make 9
speciality Of different classes Of work and
thereby introduce the helpers to the places
OF the skilled and thorough mechanics.
continue until the prices Of labor will be
below living wages and render 1t possible
for the man who is prepared to earn a
good livelihood eking out a mere existence
Declares Men WIN Resist.
1--WE propose to resist this miserable
policy Just as long as there is a mite o
strength left in us, for we will not b,
dragged to such an end or become tn,
\ means Of dragging our fellows there IL W,
can hello it,"
The strikers, especially the boilermakers
are deriving much satisfaction from report,
that the boilermakers on the Great North
ern and one OF two other roads have wor
their fight. having been given every con
cession asked. While the argument ha.
been advanced by some OF the trainmer
that the shopmen have as good as los
their battle since they have failed to gair
eomplete tieup Of the shops. the strikers
maintain that they are bound TO win an,
express themselves as thoroughly satishs,
with the progress Of affairs.
The company points to the fact tha
1t Is getting some very capable and skille,
men from Chicago, who have left goo,
positions to accept work from the Uniol
Pacific, while there was a chance 10 Re
more money than they were making. a
proof that the strikers are gradually losini
out and Will eventually he conquered an
left to look for other places unless the,
decide soon 10 accept the eompany's one
Of their old positions.
ROnemus Addresses Carmen.
Frank l. Ronemus, secretary and treas
urer OF the Brotherhood OF Railway Car
men. addressed the car builders last nigh
In Fullers hall at the secret session he'll
by the latter He eounseled peace an
forbearanee OF the carmen, assuring theu
that they had been given all they coul
AJAX OF the Union Pacific and insisted tina
there was no occasion for a strike. Tn
car builders have apparently dropped Al
thought OF striking. Nl Ronemus lei
the city for the west to make a thoroug
itinerary Of the Union Pacific shop towns
While there has been more OF less idl
talk and speculation since the beginnin
OF the shopmen's strike OF the trainme