The labor world. [volume] (Duluth, Minn.) 1896-current, 1903-05-16
THE UNION PACIFIC STRIKE
A Sorry Example of Divided Union.
ism and What it Costs.

For nine months one of the bitterest
struggles in which organized labor has
ever engaged, has been Waged Oh the
Union Pacific Railway; struggle
which must result in either complete
victory or overwhelming defeat for the
men, as any kind Of compromise In
view, of the issue involved is out of the
question.
In certain respects this strike is out
Of the ordinary, and it because of this
that so great Importance is attached
to the controversy by both parties. The
strike was declared in June 1902, by the
boiler makers and machinists' union,
not for an increase in wages, not
against reduction in wages, nor be-
cause Of any existing greviance; but
because of determination Of the COM
pany to introduce the piecework sys-
tenn in all the shops, which it is claimed
BY the men would not only result in
vastly lower .Wages,,H4b hut eventually ia:
the destruction of their sorganizat ION.
a contention: which is without doubt
correct. -
That a strike Of such dimensions and
such significance should continue for
such a length of time on a road which,
like the Union Pacific, is one of the best
organized Of any on the country, and
furthermore that a cause of such a
grave Importance should after such a
long and bitter struggle and under such
conditions, be in danger Of defeat, is of
itself a. terrible arraignment of the met
hods and policies and short-sighted
selfishness of the organizations which
have stood idly by, offering mo objec.
lions and taking no steps to assist these
| unions which have been battling for
| nearly year for their very existence.
To be sure, the policy of all these or
CARNATIONS, including the two affected,
is leach one for himself" which means
| that the troubles of any of them can
| not or do not constitute grievance to
| any other as long as the rules and con-
tracts under which they are working
are not being infringed or violated by
| the company.
| The locking out Of every member of
the machinists' union would not justi-
| fly the members Of the B. of l.. of E. or
the O. r. G. in interfering or interceding
in any matter to protect the life of the
| machinists' union and vica versa, the
machinists' union would be under no
obligations to either of the others under
similar circumstances. Nor does this
| class selfishness end at this inexcus-
] able limit.
The inevitable result of such Bit
ter and prolonged struggle as this,
could not help but be of serious effect
upon the motive power Of the system
and this has been the caseon the Union
Pacific. Its. engines, which have long
been noted as the finest on any road
in the West, have degenerated in con.
dition until they are little better than
scrap heaps, and it has even been
charged by the machinists and boiler
makers, upon evidently good grounds
that the company has borrowed loco.
motives from other roads in order tt
maintain its service. With the engines
in such condition as to render then
unsafe to operate, it would seem to the
average Individual that any organiza.
ton was not only justified but in. duty
bound to Interfere in behalf of the lives
of it's members and protect them anl
their positions in their refusal to run
engines that are palpab1y unsafe t.
run. But even these conditions hav.
not been sufficient to satisfy the en-
gineers and firemen that they yet "havt
a GRIEVANCE" i -. 49,
Engineers who have dared to protes
against being required to run an en-
CINE. that they knew to be unsafe, ant
thta to take out would be literally t.
take. their lives in their hands, hav,
been told by their superiors that the,
must take 1t or lose their positions
take the engines assigned them or tax,
their time: But, did any Of them cal
I this ehartless bluff? Did the B.. OF L
1 E. interfere to protect the lives 20
these men who were entitled to pro
7 lection in Just such sases= as this
NEVER III . 81 81.
q few weeks. go one 81: the oldes
u and. most popular passenger. engineer
running out Of Denvera pro tested wig
lorousl against "a Ills ql
with an engine iWhtc knewzst s.
81 dangerousl ,lnsafe but his protes
.Was ulava 4 tIsI ualist III
Ia.asa q