The professional world. (Columbia, Mo.) 1901-192?, 1902-07-11
FREIGHT HANDLERS ARE OUT.
Between Eight and Nine Thousand
Now on Strike-Merchants
Fear Big Loss.

Chicago, July S.-Between 5000 and
5000 freight handlers struck this morn
ing. All railroads entering Chicago are
affected.
Business men fear the strike will be
the most serious which has affected
their interests in years. The demands
of the freight handlers are for an in
crease of wages, extra pay for over
time and holidays, and recognition of
the union. Many manufacturers had
small forces of men previously hired
on hand when the strike was called, and
by adding to it men from other de-
partments managed to handle perish
able commodities. In hiring non-union
men, 1t is said the railroads run a seri-
Gus risk of bringing about a strike of
the teamsters who recently won their
fight from the packers. The teamsters,
it is said, will refuse absolutely to have
anything to do with freight in any way
handled by non-union help.
The men called out include the fore
men, check, recheck, recruiting and de-
livery clerks, callers, weighmasters,
stevedores, coopers and elevator men.
Chief of Police O'Neill has ordered
his subordinates to make every prep
VI w plNoCl e u L lt IuuuItu
and fifty men have been called in from
the outlying stations to form a reserve
force to be stationed at down town sta
tons. From their stations the men
went in squads to the different yards.
There was no marked demonstration as
they entered.
The demands of the freight handlers
were presented to all railroads June 25
and asked for a reply by 10 O'Clock on
the morning of July /. In addition to
asking an advance in wages, time and a
half pay for overtime and double pay
for Sunday and holiday work and two
pay days a month, the union demanded
recognition as an organization. The Of
fcers have adhered strictly to the de-
mand that the roads treat with the rep
resentatives of the union instead of
with their own employees.
Nearly all the roads granted an ad-
vance in wages to their men and post
ed the new schedules on the walls of
the freight houses. This, however, was
not accepted.
The freight handlers were denied the
Endorsement of their demands for an
increase in wages in the afternoon by
the Chicago Federation of Labor. First
the executive committee of the fedora
ton came in with a report in which it
urged the freight handlers to appoint
a committee to meet with the railroad
officials, selecting representatives from
the freight houses and virtually COM
plying with the request of the COM
panies. President Curran of the freight
men submitted copies of the wage scale
his union demanded and the schedule
offered by the companies. He explain
ed that the offer of the companies was
a reduction for some of the men.
Instead of complying with the re-
quest of the freight men, the fedora
ton referred it back to it's executive
committee. AS President Curran APP
preached Secretary Philip Henry of the
freight handlers his face was white
with anger.
Political trickery," he said. Wei
show them yet"
The officers of the freight handlers
were more than angry. They expressed
their belief that their union was being
made a tool of by President Bowman
for the purpose of increasing his pros
poets of election as criminal court
clerk.
Hopes of a speedy settlement of the
strike are entertained today by officials
of the union and members of the state
board of arbitration. The union off
Gals are willing to allow committees
of the men to discuss the situation with
their W roads provided the officials
are permitted to act as advisers to the
men. AS the railroads favored this plan
from the beginning the state board of
arbitration hopes to speedily arrange
a conference. 1t is said a large num-
Der of men quite work under protest.
The suspension of work has already
caused considerable inconvenience
Should the teamsters carry out the
threat to join in a sympathetic strike
it will affect freight of all kinds. Much
unmoved freight is already in the
yards, some of it of a perishable class
Many men brought in by railroads have
been induced to Join the union and re.
fuse to work,