Omaha daily bee., 1902-06-19
PACIFIC IN LABOR WAR
Company Refuses Boiler kaferI' Demand
for Increase and Latter Strike,
loN MoulDERs WHO ARE ALREADY OUT
Machinists and Car Builders Are Ex-
pected to Quit work and General
TIeup of Systems shops is
Looked For.

The Union Pacific is confronted by an ag-
V~ravated labor war. Promptly at 10 o'clock
yesterday morning every boilermaker In
Its employ laid down his tools and walked
cut OF the shops, tying up the entire sys-
lem from Omaha to Ogden.
The strike is the result Of an order Issued
by the Boilermakers" union upon the fail-
ure Of the Union Pacific %oficlals to accede
TO demands of the men for higher wages
rhe workmen and officials met In conference
yesterday morning. the former presented
p their request for an increase In their scale
and the latter resolutely refused TO grant 1t,
thus precipitating a strike which may end
in the congestion Of all the mechanical de-
partments OF the road.
The b%oilermakers were getting 81 to 20
sents an hour and they-asked for a nominal
raise. There was no dispute upon the
question Of hours In the Omaha shops
there are but thirty or thirty-hve boiler
makers. but there are shops scattered all
along the road from this city to the vest
srn terminus, and every boilermaker in
al OF these shops is Infected by the order
10 strike and has rigidly obeyed it. This
means that hundreds of boilermakers are
low idle.
Not Disposed to Talk.
Neither the tradesmen nor the railroad
ofhcials concerned with these matters are
disposed to discuss them. At the Union
Pacific headquarters the, officials positively
refused to enter into, any. discussion; the
boilermakers simply stated their plain
proposition, which Is lucid enough to ex-
pose all the main facts. At the boiler shops
II was said that the men had quit work and
walked out promptly at the hour designated
by their union leaders.
Coming SO closely upon the heels Of the
Union Pacific mouldeTs' strike, the action
OF the boHermaheps has seriously compli-
Gated the situation for the company and II
is probable that the two trades now out
will be Joined within. a very short period
by others. According to the men this de-
velopment is more than probable. The fact
that the maehinists are1already in a dissat-
isfed state of mind and have tentatively
decided to submit a request for an increase
OF wages lends additional strength to the
belief that the striking force will be ma
terially enlarged and gives to the situation
the g~ravest aspect.
Increase Asked IL Small.
The machinlsts are paid about the same
as the b~oilermakers, and while the exact
increase asked, in neither case is made
DuDllC, II Is u0deTslOOu 10 Dt inSlkuluChuN
The car builders, 1T Is said, would be the
next to afhllate with the men who have
quit work.
The strikers are not discouraged ovel
heir prospects Of winning. Their attitude
Is one OF serene confidence and they believe
that the road will be forced from self-in.
terest to yield. especially IL the strike as.
Iumes. the proportions which are predicted
md indicated. by present conditions. The
iieup OF the moulders in Chicago, which
Btops all work, on Union Pacific patterns
adds to the gravity of the situation.
MouIders Expect Developments.
The moulders nave heard nothing from
Chicago since the telegram which cam'
Sunday to Secretary Chadwick Of tn,
Moulders' union, saying all work on UnioI
Pacific patterns had been stopped there
The moulders are looking daily for som
development from the Chicago end of tn,
line. They would not be surprised to hea
that the Featherstone Interests had de
eided to aecede to their proposition o
agree on a compromise whereby the Oman.
Or Union. Pacific. moulders would be bene
hted independent Of any action by the rail
road company.
An interesting feature Of the moulders
trouble is that had the Union Pacih
granted their full demand for an increas
in wages It would have meant to that com
pany. the outlay in cold cash Of $40
week: or In other words that Is the aggre
gate amount to which the increase woul
have come. There was but a limited mum
Der OF men to be affected by the desire
advance and each ones income was to hav
been increased a fraction OF q cent.
In connection with this the moulders cal
attention to the lact that during the inan
cial depression a few years ago, whic
was general throughout the country, tn
Union Pacific Railroad company had
proposition to make TO it's moulders. ]
was that they submit to a reduction 1
their wages OF 5 per cent a day. TIL
men presented the matter at n called meet
ing and the result was that they unnan
imously agreed to the reduction. Whe
the conditions improved wages in a minor
ity of cases. 1t is said. were reinstated, bu
the great majority never were restored
their original income,
The feeling among the moulders, in vie
of these facts, is TO say at least, not a Yer
wholesome one towards their employers.