Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1902-07-05
Threaten to Strike ifMads to Transfer More
Non -UpionistsL
ONE IMPORTED MEN QUIT THEIR JOBS
Working Force at Shops Closely Watched by
Private Guards.
BLACKsMITHS EXPECT TO ACT TODAY
President sIocum of BIacksmiths' In
ternational Union on the way 20
Omaha from ulinois-Car
Builders waiting.

The arrival of sixteen more non-uni5n
men from Chicago to take strikers places
in the Union Pacific shops and a very de-
cided feeling among the switchmen against
the company are late developments in the
strike
Another Union Pacific car was backed into
the shop yards near Webster street at Sis
yesterday evening. The men had come
from Chicago over the Northwestern and
were placed in a special car at Council
Bluffs, brought into Omaha and to the
yards by means OF switch engine The
switchmen had beforehand discussed the
idea of not handling the car containing
'scabs' and for while It looked as II
there would be serious trouble In getting
the men to the yards, where the others are
domiciled in the company's cars under the
protection of private guards.
More non-union men from Chicago were
expected late last night. The company is
making a persistent effort to get enough
on the grounds to carry on Its work, but
II the process of subtraction keeps paca
with that of addition at the rate 1t has, the
result will not conduce materially to the
company's interests.
Only Twenty-Nine to work.
1t was learned last night that in the
III Sb iOt VI men lhpOIltu lEou CnlCdkO
there were twenty originally, instead Of
twenty-seven, as was previously reported.
Only nineteen Of these, however, reached
the railroad yards, and by last night six
had escaped, leaving thirteen, making a
total of twenty nine with the sixteen that
arrived yesterday.
Serious complications for the company
are threatened by the attitude Of the
switchmen. When the hrst carload of non
union men was sent into the yards the
switchmen manifested some displeasure at
handling cars under such circumstances
and since pressure was brought to bear
upon them by the strikers, who insisted
that 1t was a breach of the principle of
unionism for union yardmen to transfer
these cars containing "scab" workmen
When the second importation arrived
therefore, the switchmen hesitated and not
until strong influence was exerted did
they consent to handle the cars. Some
of them declare they will positively refuse
to do any more such work.
Yardman Expresses Sentiments.
A yardman said yesterday:
For my part l won't help transfer
another car to bring 'scab' men into these
yards. I'll quit my job first. That is
nothing more, in effect, than scabbing and
am a union man. II the switchmen do
refuse to move these cars 1t will result
in tieup in the yards, that is, II the
company keeps on bringing in men, and
that will put a pretty hard knot in the
strike problem for the company. 1t Will
start the ball rolling toward the trainmen,
and II the operating department is ever
tied up, the company will be at the mercy
of the strikers, for nothing can be done
with the trainmen on a strike"
/ The switchmen are not as strongly or
ganized as some Of the other employees.
They are now AFFILIATED with the brakemen
and have no thorough organization OF their
own.
No Attempt mt Violence.
There was no assault or attempted as
sault upon any of the recent non-union
recruits from Chicago yesterday. None Of
| the shops were in operation and the con-
struction crew on the new buildings was
taking holiday. The guards. all Of whom
| are private men, many former employees
around the Union Pacific shops end yards,
| have had no encounters with strikers and
! their greatest trouble seems to lie in pre-
venting the new arrivals from jumping
their contracts with the company and maxi
| ing their escape. One of the half dozen
| who managed to get away said he had rel
| atives in Omaha and when he hired to
the agents of the company in Chicago 1t
was WITH a view of getting out here, where
| he could be with his people. Others say
| they wanted to come west and thought
| this was a good opportunity
This morning the men are expected to
| begin work The strikers declare that
every possible peaceable effort will be ex-
erted to prevent them from doing any
| work, and they express the belief that by
night mono Of the men will be left at the
shops.
According to the statement Of a Union
| Pacific employe who was interviewed yes
terday, things at the shops are in de-
| moralized condition. He says castings
and equipments are so scare that II has
become necessary to take wheels on old
freight cars and put them under passenger
coaches Even these deficient supplies, he
says, are not inexhaustible.
BIacksmiths Expect Action.
Decisive action from the blacksmlths "a
expected either late today or Monday. Thii
is the last OF three days the blacksmith
said they would defer a final decision
They were looking for their chief execu-
tive officer, President slocum Of Moline
Ill, up to a late hour last night. Hi
presence in the city today may have tht
effect of bringing things TO mead BLACK
smiths who have been interviewed ayoN
their intention and the intention OF the
union to resist piecework and strike Il
the company will not agree to restore th'
| old daily wage system.
No further developments In the affairs
of the car builders are looked for until
Monday, when the committee from thii
craft will meet Superintendent McKeen
who is fastening back from the west for q
special conference with these men, who
requested his presence here in the hops
that matters could be adjusted and a STRIKE
averted.
Mr.. McKeen was the leading factor FOL
the company In the conferences over
week ago, the result Of which was a sat
isfactory settlement with the car builders
and the men prefer to deal with him. snC
this arrangement is desirable TO the com
pany. During the former conferences tn,
car builders were not spPrised OF the com
panys intention to introduce the piece