Omaha daily bee., 1902-09-04
BRIcKLAYERs RESUME WORK
from the Ranks of the
Strikers.

-
True to the threats made Tuesday night In
their meeting hall. many union brick
layers returned to work yesterday on the
new Union Pacific shops. They we're among
the number who struck last Friday In re-
%luctant obedience to the order issued by
the Building Trades council, through Bust
ess Agent c. A. Stevenson.
This action widens the breach in the
Brlcklayers' union. As has been stated,
the order for a strike Of the men at work
on the new shops was issued by Business
Agent Stevenson Wednesday last. on the
grounds that three nonunion carpenters
were at work on the buildings. This order
was ignored. 1t is said, on the advice OF
the president OF the local Bricklayers'
union, John II. Withheld. and the strike did
not become effective until Friday. when the
order OF the Building Trades council was
repeated. Mr.. Withheld, 1t Is reported,
was fined 800 for his action.
II Is said that all bricklayers. returning
to work on the new shop buildings during
the tendency OF this strike will be fined
800, In default OF which they will be ex-
PEELED or suspended from the union. The
feeling on both sides is running high. The
faction led by the Building Trades council
is e%xerting its influence to pull the other
men on the work, while the insurgents are
determined to hold out against Official ac-
ton.
The carpenters and hodcarriers refuse to
return to work on the buildings so long as
the strike exists, and the plumbers, at their
meeting Tuesday night, took no action at all
The Building Trades council decided to
stand by the strike and see that its orders
were enforced.
The meeting Of the bricklayers. as has
been said. brought forth two results, one
inspired by the insurgent faction, who re-
fused to abide by the order Of the council
and avowed its intention of going back to
work; the other the work OF the friends Of
the council, who we're opposed to breaking
the strike.
The Union Pacific Is making the most OF
the dissension among the bricklayers and
preparing to increase it's forces on the
buildings with outside help. Yesterday
twelve nonunio carpenters were intro.
duced, having been shipped in over the
Wabash. Tuesday twelve local Union Pacific
carpenters were put to work on the shoI
buildings, but seven deserted, refusing tC
take the places OF strikers.
W. w. Arnett, employment agent for the
Union Pacific. brought to the city yesterday
morning fo~rty-three men from Buffalo to &c
TO work in the shops. One of the crowd, q
union man. deserted upon arrival. The mer
claim to nave been hired with a guaranty
Of so to "a cents an hour for nine hours
pay and a half for overtime and Sundays
and to be placed to work on the premium
system.
A Union Pacific Official said tina this ad-
dition to the shop forces brought them up
to normal in all departments.
The fact that the Union Pacific has ceased
preparations for housing its shopmen during
the winter is taken as an indication OF the
company's intention to settle the strike as
sooh as the new shops are completed.
Machinists yesterday received a CHECK
from St. Paul for 5000 and one from Spokane
for $175 to apply on the strike benefit fund
In the morning correspondence came a let.
ter from Cheyenne saying that twenty-five
%nonunion men had deserted the shops there
and that three had been discharged for in.
competency. North Platte reports clever
assertions.
In its efforts to restore the building forces
to their normal status the company yes.
terday ordered thirteen Of the bridge work
ers to begin operations on the new shops
One of the thirteen complied and the othel
twelve quit rather than take strikers
places. They were all offered the unioI
scale OF $3.50 a day. Some of the twelv,
who quit had been in the employ OF tn,
Union Pacific as long as eighteen years
None Of them was a member Of any union