Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1902-07-02


Is directing the Union Pacific machip,s,s,
strike, finds objection 20 statements nada
oy PRESIDENT Burt OF the railroad COM
pany In his interview published in The
Bee. Mr.. Wilson thinks Mr. Burt errs In
holding that the piecework system would
benefit the machlnists and offers argument
10 prove that the men are not as fairly
dealt with as they should be. Admitting
the argument Of President Burt that the
Union Pacific has paid the maximum wages
to Its employees, Mr.. Wilson takes exception
to the statement that the wages are 10
per cent In advance Of other roads.
MIR. wilson's Statement.
The following statement was given OH,
by Mr.. Wilson last night:
I'VE admit that In the past the Union
Pacific has paid the highest rate of any
road in the immediate vicinity, and that
previous to the advent Of the present
president the men had little to complain
OF, but now we are told that the rate Of
pay on the Union Pacific lie 10 per cent
higher than on any other system outside
the Southern Pacific The statement In
not correct, for the Great Northern has
agreed to pay S21s cents per hour at st.
Paul on and after the first day Of July.
and this point has at times been paying
from 20 to 80 cents per day less than
Omaha. There are three roads that run
into st. Paul that have agreed to raise
the pay of the machinists to an amount
equal to 10 per cent, so that when the
demand was made for more money on the
Union Pacific 1t was eminently fair and
strictly in line with the general move
ment Of all mechanics to get a fair share
of the existing prosperity in the United
States, to which we are Justly entitled.
Nov, in the matter OF piecework, It Ia
no breach Of confidence when I say that,
the constitution OF the International Asso-
citation of Machinists will not allow any
OF its members to do or to take work by
the piece, except In those places where It
was already in vogue. Here is the point
on which the strike was called, and this
is also the point of the most vital In
terest to the men.
Not Like Trainmen.
"Piecework in the machinists' trade does
not work the same as It does in the case
of the trainmen. for In the first place. the
trainmen are not In direct competition
with one another, nor does their scale OF
wages, as paid by the mile. leave any
chance for any one man Of particular abiI-
ity to set the pace. as It were. and when
after having established a record, he finds
that his pay. which for the time being was
greater than it ever was when he worked
by the day. he suddenly discovers that his
extra efforts are in a way appropriated
by the company when It cuts his pay to
what It thinks Is suficieIt for an ordinary
individual to have. Then the workman
becomes disgusted and quits his Job. leav-
ing 1t for a new man to take hold of at a
price which is practically starvation wages
for weeks until the workman becomes as
skilled as his predecessor. Then, again, it
takes away from the men the chance to-
make their agreement with the employer
as a body, and leaves them as individuals
to the mercy of the foremen. Therefore.
our organization and it's principles have
been attacked In one OF its most vital
parts, hence our position today.
Calls Burt n HumOrist.
ct am inclined to think that Mf Burt Is
somewhat of humorist. and that when he
says that we want to deal gently and
fairly with the mem he forgets that he has
| shown the public that that statement Is q
myth.
Look at his actions as discovered at
Cheyenne. A few days. ago II was the in
tention Of the company to teach the busi-
ness men Of Cheyenne g lesson, and Ia or
der to teach this lesson he takes from 500
! men, the men he deals 50 fairly with, their
means of livelihood Then he hnds that he
has subdued the business men ana that It
is necessary to open the shop he originally
intended TO dispense with, and he tiles to
hll It with what he terms the right kind
! Of men, II is also his evident intention 10
| hll the Omaha shops with the right kind
| Of men,
Now we will go a little further and see
| II we can find any evidence OF the kindness
referred TO, and compare his kindnsss to
the fairness Of some other systemt.
says II IL Intimidation.
"a little more humor: we prefer to deal
with union men, There Is no question
about that and the way that he prefers to
deal with them is to discharge all Of their
oficers-iAtimidatio tion pure and simple. At
any time that hs has discovered . man
amongst his employees with backbone
enough to stand for his rights and hts fell
low -eraftsmen's rights, he very kindly. very
gently told him his services we're no longer
necessary.
"our organization has ever shown q dis
| position to be fair and when the boiler
makers struck We merely adopted a resolu-
tion, fling an objection to work with non
union men and confined ourselves to this
| action alone. The result was large lay
on. The same was done in a similar case
on the Great Northern by our man, with
the result that the Great Northern granted
our agreement and raised the mems pay
and further agreed In a true spirit OF fair
ness to cut the time to six hours per day
before they would lay of any rnachinisi
whatever. Notice the different treatment
Now to sum up; We want to state that
We will not take piece work; our orsaniza-
tion and principles will be supported TO the
best Of our endeaYors. And DO not hest
tate to say most emphatieslly that thli
trouble was brought about by the arbi-
trary actions Of the Union Paeihe. II
wanted the strike. il got 1t. and apparently
II is glad OF H. Since we are forced 70 Il
we will see that the mems demands ar,
granted. or we will go to defeat like one
| man.