Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1902-06-29
Union Pacific Employees Idle.

neipers '''..'.. ,.s 400
Bnilerm"kers 1,ers '.'........I 80. 1TB
neIpers '''''''.'....../ rs
Moulders ............./ .... I20
Total ..........., ......... I2TO
Labor trouble in the Union Pacific shops
| reached crisis Saturday lust before noon.
| when the conference between officials and
committee from the Machinists union
failed to agree on terms of settlement
and the machinists tentatively declared A
strike. The formal order for a general
| strike to extend over the entire system
will be issued by President oConnell of
the International Association OF Machinists
| at Washington. The action OF the union
| here was indorsed by a telegram from
| President O'Connell, received at 2:S0 Sat-
| urday afternoon
Originally there were 500 machinists en-
ployed in the Union Pacific shops and 400
helpers. Ninety eight per cent Of these
are members of the union and will CO.
operate with and be governed by the strike
order, and the union officials declare they
can control the remaining per cent Of
union men. As matter Of fact,
there were not over seventy-ive or 100
machinlsts and helpers in the active service
| Of the company when the strike was de-
| cided upon, the large majority had
| been discharged during the week. 1877 on
Friday, the day before the ultimatum was
received. So while all the 900 men are
really a strike, provided the union can
control the 2 per cent of non-union men,
not over 100 had the privilege OF walking
out when the crisis was reached.
Fifteen Hundred Men strike.
| With the entire number OF Union Pa
| cifc boilermakers under strike orders, the
combined number of strikers Is in the
neighborhood of 1900. The boilermakers
and machinists have avowed their inten-
tion OF standing together throughout this
struggle. The boilermakers were jubilant
when they heard of the action Of the ma
chinists and both organizations are conf
dent of winning their hght.--
! or the 1ther band, the company is
calmly Indifferent to the sanguine disposi-
tion Of the strikers, believing that when
the smoke of the battle clears away the
| result will be Union Pacific triumph.
The officials still assert that their inter-
ests are not in jeopardy and can be safe
guarded under present conditions for an
indefinite period. They are not viewing
the likelihood of a prolonged and disas-
trous struggle with grave apprehensions.
The strike of the machinists is the out
come OF long pending difficulties and the
officials and the machinists committee at
Union Pacific headquarters Saturday.
Conference with OmciaIs.
The committee, headed by Vice President
T. L. Wilson from st. Paul, Mimi, repre-
senting the ternational organization, and
Vice President w. Webster of Evanston.
Wyo., representing the various unions over
the Union Pacific system, met General Man
Motive Power w. R. McKeen, jr.. In the
latter's ONCE at 3:15 Friday afternoon.
Immediately upon the departure OF the
car builders committee who had effected
amcable terms with the officials. The
machinists were cordially received, their
demands accepted and they were told to
call at 10 o'clock Saturday morning.
Saturdays meeting was slightly delayed.
but the men got together before noon and
within five minutes the conference was
over, all negotiations at an end and the
machinists ready for a strike. They were
unable to agree upon terms.
The following six propositions were sub
mitted by the machlnists:
/. Reinsta tement or all local and district
officers discharged by the company.
2 Enforcement OF the agreement signed
by both sides a month age.
| 4. No piecework.
8, ,Recognidon Of the International As
ISOLATION of Machinists.
6, Protest against working with "scab'
boilermakers.
officials and Men Differ.
The company and the machinlsts' COM
mittee each gives a different version as
to the action upon these six propositions
The machinists declare that they were all
summsrily rejected. The company ofieials
affirm that they were willing to grant all
the propositions except the one pertaining
to piecework One Of the oficials, discuss
ing the matter, said:
THE men simply were too unreasonable
to confer. We were ready to accede TO
every demand except the one asking ua 10
discard piecework. That we insisted on
and 1t looked to US that. having shown a
disposition to grant Ave cut OF their ak
propositions, they might have afforded ore
concession. We did not as a matter Of
fact, grant any 0f the concessions asked,
for the reason that when we declined to
give In on the piecewo.k proposition the
men said that settled the whole matter"
Statement of strikers.
The strikers representatives made this
statement:
"The officials were unreasonable. They
refused to entertain single proposition
advanced and there was nothing left for
US to DO but submit TO the inevitable
, strike. This We have done and we promise
the railroad that we are In the night to q
finish. prepared for a long and bitter
struggle, II necessary.
The oficials knew that we could not
accept plecework, as the constitution OF
our international organization torbids II.
and, furthermore, We could not make fair
wages under that sort Of system"
| Origin of the Trouble
The origin Of the Union Pacific labor
troubles was in the closing Of the foundry
, by the company. by which 100 molders and
helpers were thrown out OF employment.
} The next step was the strike OF the boiler