Omaha daily bee., 1902-07-24
FIGHT ON MANNING THE SHOPS
Contest Between Union Pacific and Strikers
0snters on EsnuniOns.
ALL BlAcKSMITHs LIKELY TO co OUT
Company Determined on Piece system
and Men Resolved Against It
New Employees Come
and Go.

A0 WINCH kW1k INV NV
and the strikers seems now to center
chiefly upon the manning Of the shops. The
company continues to import nonunion
workmen with apparently little effort. and
the strikers are d~evotlng their time largely
20 feducing these forces after they arrive.
Last hight strikers claimed that fourteen
Insurgents from the. Omaha shops Joined
their ranks and that a larger break would
he mad before morning. The union piekets
who clIim to have beep at the gates when
the men left the yards, hold that two OF
the deserters we're Of the most skilled In
the shops.
Strikers asserted also last night that
during the day eleven Onunion men had
left the shops at Cheyenne. They claim to
be making inroads on the company's forces
r in this way each day. but ~ofioials Of the
Union Pacific invariably contradict these
and say their forces In all the
shops are daily increasing. In Omaha alone
yesterday thirty-eight men in all were In
troduced, but Of this number ten are said
70 have left before the fourteen from the
: general ranks last night. The claims and
Of the company and strikers
are conflicting as to these matters and 1t
IS dinicult to get at tn, actual number that
come and go. The company was as positive
and vehement yesterday as ever that 1t
could get all the men It needed and that
the number of deserters had been greatly
exaggerated.
President John slocum Of the ~Interna-
tional brotherhood Of Blacksmiths, who Is
still in the city, expects to confer with
President Burt and superintendent McKeen
Of the Union Pacific today II possible re-
EardlnE certain interests Of the blacksmtths.
The blacksmiths are working in perfect
Harmony and cooperation now with the
.tboilermakers and machinists and all are
determined on the one proposition of not
yielding TO piecework. Inveterate opposi-
tion to piecework is the slogan OF the
strikers campaign.
All BIacksmIths May Quit.
It may be only a question OF time until
ali the blacksmiths In the Union Pacific
shops 20 out on a strike, thus materially
Increasing the number Of strikers. In
Omaha and Armstrong only are the black
smiths out at present. These are the only
places where the members Of this craft
have been asked to accept piecework. con-
;sequently the others have had no occasion
to strike.
But things are very liable to undergo q
vital change soon, as an official OF the
company says It is only a question OF
time until the Union Pacific Will announce
a general enforcement OF the piecework
system, and the blacksmiths have repeat
eddy avowed their determination never to
accept pieoework.
"Piecework has been decided upon by this
company, and, az a matter Of fact, 1t Is
to become general and not apply to part
Of our shops only" said an oficial yesterday
morning. How soon we shall establish 1t
in all the shops is not decided. but we
are gradually introducing II all over the
system and It's general adoption is merely
contingency"
ofnciais Iychsmentiy deny thu reports Of
ldesertions in their shop forces at Ellis,
Kan, and also at Council Bluffs and
Omaha, while the strikers claim to have
unquestioned proof OF these assertions.
1--WE also say that these reports about
our attempt or intention to introduce the
contract system into our shops are en-
tirely incorrect. There is simply nothing
In them"
New Men Come and Go.
The importation by the Union Pacific OF
thirty-one new men from the east and
eleven from the soush. the immediate
desertion Of ten ana the alleged
intention OF practically TIE entirs number
TO desert upon their arrival In Cheyenne
to which point the men are destined. en-
livened interest in the strike yesterday.
I'VE are having no trouble at all In get
ting all the men we want" said an ofhcial
Of the company. I'VE have another large
number under employment in Chicago and
they will be here In due time. Why. dom
you know we could hire enough foremen Il
do all oIr work." he said jokingly. Blu
seriously, we have a large number Of gooc
places open to competent foremen and like
wise have q number Of applications from
very capable and reputable men who have
served In these capacities for such roads
as the Burlington and many eastern lines
We have concluded no definite arrange
ments with any such as yet. but negotia'
ftions are pending in many cases and 1t Il
mot at all improbable that within q few
days We will have several excellent shoI
foremen at our disposal"
story of Tive Imported Men.
R. d. and f. ]. Powers. brothers, two o
the men who came into the city and de
serted upon their arrival at the Union Pa