Omaha daily bee., 1903-05-10

strike, refused to deliver building material
to any contractor who undertook to start
work with nonuniOn men.
Then cam the first evidence Of the asso-
citation which had been formed among the
employers of labor. The dealers in build
ing material refused to sell stock to any
contractor until the labor trouble should
be finally settled. This brought building
operations to an absolute close so far as
new work vas concerned. 4 number of the
smaller contractors had agreed to the nod
carriers demands as to time and they
operated as long as material lasted, but
being unable to renew their stock they were
forced out of business. At this j%uncture
a capitalist of Omaha offered to secure
material for these contractors, but by the
time he was ready to deliver the goods the
small contractors had been prevailed upon
TO cooperate with the organization of
employers, and nothing came of this at
tempt to secure material through unusual
lines.
The second strike in the building trades
was that Of the electrical workers. These
men made a demand for increased wages,
which was refused. Then came the
plasterers, who had been refused a demand
for higher wages, and finally May l the
carpenters, who up to this time had been
at WOTh, SlTuCh upon the ItluSdl VI lhS
employers to grant them an increase OF
wages amounting to about % per cent.
About the same time the drain layers
employed by the master plumbers were
refused wages demanded and these consti-
tute the unions interested in the c%ontruc-
tion of houses who are now out of work. The
plumbers, sheet metal workers and the
painters are the three unions connected
with the building trades who had no trouble
this spring, and the demands of the
structural iron workers were conceded.
May ! brought the strike of the walters
union. This union did not ask increased
wages to any considerable extent, and all
employers were willing to grant all that
was asked, and were also willing to grant
a six-day working week, but the objection
in this case was the same as that OF the
teamsters-the employers refusing to recog-
nize the union. simultaneously with the
walters the cooks and the cooks helpers
left the places of their employment, in both
cases the question of recognition of the
union being the principal issue. With the
walters and other restaurant employees
went the bartenders in all houses where
bars are run in connection with the res-
taurant.
Two strikes, sympathetic in their nature,
were inaugurated this week as the result
of the strike of the team drivers, when
the freight handlers at the freight depots
of the railroads and at the wholesale
houses quit work rather than handle ship
ments delivered by nonunion drivers Of
wagons, and the horseshoers quit work
rather than shoe the horses of the employ
ers who attempted to operate their business
with men not members OF the union.
The strike of the building trades has
very materially altered prospects Of a busy
season in this line Of trade. But two
houses Of Importance have been constructed
this season, the Joslyn residence and thai
Of Mrs. Ben Gallagher, both Of which were
begun last year, and neither Of which are
yet complete, but which are being finished
without friction. Bids were asked early II
the season for the construction Of tn,