The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1903-09-20

teamSterS was unknown. In those late days
il was pretty much every driver for him
self. Cor he was in the wheel Of competition,
and every job lost was money lost. and
money lost was not to make a living Con-
sequently those drivers with their horses
and wagon-personal unions. in a way-did
not hesitate TO do little cutting on the side
in order to secure job that paid better
than letting their drays stand idle. Thus ii
was that there became a general slashing
and cutting among the teamsters. There is
not the touching Of elbows in the teaming
craft that there is in many OF the other
trades. the carpenters or the miners or the
printers. a teamster is a man who drives
an eqUtpaSe for a living. He may drive a
hack. or he may drive a ponderous coal
wagon-he is teamster and he is following
a trade Despite the differences in the team
ing trade. it not long after the various
unions OF the country began TO grow that
some of the Transfers in the big cities,
where they compared favorabIy. numeri-
cally, with other crafts, organized. and,
prospecting, began TO talk unionism TO their
fclIow-cra ftsmen.
The outcome Of the thing was that. in 1899
the transfers of Kansas City called a con-
venti0n and invited brother transfers in
surrounding large cities TO attend. At that
meeting representatives We're present from
most Of the larger cities of the West. espe-
ciaIiy Chicago. An organization was per-
fected and called the Team Drivers Inter-
national Union. which stood for the better
ment Of the condition of the teamsters who
would enlist under the label. The new or
ganization was formed with nine locals, in
Guiding about $500 members. The way of the
new union was rough and the progress slow
The teamster knew there was union of
which he a member. but that was about
all The restrictions Of the organization, it
appeared. stunted its progress, for il adj
mitted only men who owned not less than
i've teams and employed not less than four
men Under these conditions il was hard TO
get men TO join aud the union relapsed into a
lethargy until. in 1901. the Chicago MEN,
bers of the union struck out for themselves
and withdrew from the International body.
They drew together among themselves and
formed new organization, known as the
Transfers National Union. which admitted
no one who owned more than one team.
That specification hit the nail on the head
and the success and strength of the new
body was a foregone conclusion within a
month after the charter was drawn up. Chi
cago was swarming with teaming trade and
teaming men. Consequently, these men,
ever looking TO their own betterment and
progress. FASTENED to the headquarters OF
the union. each showing a license as owner
OF a team. and were enrolled in the union.
Many others in the business who did not
own their teams saved their money bought
an outfit and got under the union flag.
Thus 1t was that in less than year and
a half this new union. the Transfers Ma
tional Union, was $1,000 strong. and held all
the teaming interests of Chicago in their
iron hand. Not only that, but they held all
Chicago under their rule and made Marshall
Field & Co. put up the white flag
Every one remembers the situation in
Chicago during the days of that great in
dustrtal war. These teamsters-especially
coal team drivers-and coal team owners
stopped their lighting against another
and formed truce, more, in fact, a COM
pact. and began pushing their demands
the employers for the betterment OF their
conditions The fight for higher wages and
shorter hours was under the leadership of
Albert Young, and the organization became
so powerful that the employers drew to-
gether and formed a similar compact and
the fight to a finish was on. The teamsters
secured their higher wages and shorter
hours, and not only that, but a complete
monopoly the teaming trade. There was
natural gas in Chicago and it did not need
transfers to deliver il. Then the war on
natural gas began and so compact was the
organization that within a very few weeks,
the retail department of Marshall Field &
Co., the last OF the hold outs" signed the
contract and removed their gas fixtures.
Thus IL is. that to-day. no union in the
country is so strong and influential as the
Chicago locals of the teamsters-
In the meantime, the old Team Drivers
International Union, Watching the secession
with CONSERVATION. perceived that it would
have to do something or IL would be in dan
ger Of falling apart. Therefore. at it's con-
vsntion OF 1902, 1t changed its laws and re-
moved the stumbling block by making men,
bership possible 10 all bonafde journeymen
tsamsters- Immediately the international be-
gan to take strength and numbers.
Charters began TO be issued to unions in
various cities all over the country, and in a
remarkable short time the international had
emerged from obscurity and had become a
factor among the labor organizations of the
country. The stronghold Of the international
lay in the middle West cities, especially the
larger ones. Kansas City. st. Louis. Detroit
and st. Paul. However. charters were soon
in the hands of tsamsters in all the large
cities OF the United States and Canada, in
which the teaming interests were very
large
The American Federation OF Labor had
watched the growth OF the two brothers
with the greatest interest At its New Or
leans convention last year. through the ef-
forts Of John B. Lennon. an executive men,
her OF the Federation, and Dennis T Dris-
tel of Boston. the American Federation of
Labor appointed committee Of three COM
posed of Dennis ID. Aulcahy. president of
the Wood Workers International Union;
William d. Ryan. Of the United Mine Work
ess; and John A Mofett. president of the
United Hatters, to bring about an amalga-
nation 90 the two teaming organizations
The committee went 10 work and later
handed down a decision whereby the
amalgamation made possible. Conse-
ausntly. the two uniens met in convention
~ Niagara this year and at that conven-
ton the Transfers National Union and the
Team Drivers International Union became
enc and the same-the Transfers Interna-
t1onal Union.
Significant. too. is another action of the
Niagara conventions; namely, the locating of
the headquarters OF this great union In In
lianapoiis. One often thinks why the head