Omaha daily bee., 1903-01-31
BIG STRIKE Is TO CONTINUE
Negotiations for Settlement Broken Off at
Conference Friday Morning.
BURT INSISTS ON PIECE WORK SYSTEM
Tells strikers They Can Never work
for Union PRcinc Until They
Consent TO Give Premium
Scale Trial.

After almost two months OF dillydallying
IN the expectation OF a settlement, the
Union Pacific strike is now starting in full
swing upon the third phase of its career.
President Burt and the leaders OF the strik-
ers met in a momentary conference yester-
day, and the result is war to the knife
for another period Of indefinite extent All
conferences are now declared off. and all
chance for them is annihilated until new
conditions arise.
President Mcneil OF the international
brotherhood OF Boiler Makers and Iron
Ship Builders was spokesman for the strik-
ers at the conference, and the route by
which the agreement TO continue hostili-
ties was reached is exposed in the follow
ing dialogue which took place between him
and Mr.. Burt:
Mr.. McNeil-Understandin that the con-
ference in New York was postponed till
now in order that the actual attitude Of the
men regarding piece work might be
learned, now wish to state that we have
canvassed the men on this proposition, and
they have voted unanimously against 1t.
therefore announce that we will never
work under the premium scale system.
Mr.. Burt-And / reply that you will
never work for the Union Pacific under any
other system. am sorry that you will not
blNt IL a lIldlt AOl lLlllh ~ "ONiN PAc'O
a good thing IL tried. I wish to congratu-
late the men on their conduct OF the strike.
but think the premium scale proposition
would be a good thing for t<em. l think It
would mean more money to the men. You
should give it a trial
Conference is Brief.
W. R. McKeen superintendent OF motive
power for the Union Pacific. was present
the sole railroad representatives there.
Seventeen strikers attended. Greetings
and introductions took some time, Mr. Burt
and Mr.. McKeen meeting every man with a
handshake When the discussion was
finally reached 1t did not last more than
ten or fifteen minutes. The entire con-
ference continued only twenty minutes,
when the men, having delivered their
ultlmatum and received Mr.. Burt's in re-
turn, left the office.
Strikers at once repaired to Labor temple,
where they went into executive session to
adopt plans for further conduct Of the
strike. The men were unanimous for max
ing the fight mere aggressive than ever, and
there were three principal moves deter
mined upon for the immediate future.
The first step will be to bring about. II
possible, a general fight on the Union Pa
tend only to the shops, where 1t will be the
effort to bring out every man who carries
a card. This will be undertaken locally
through the Central Labor union, accord
ing to the plan already outlined. A special
meeting OF the union has been called for
Sunday afternoon, and the matter will
come UP then.
At the same meeting the scheme for the
big mass meeting of all organized labor in
Omaha will be taken up and plans perfected
20 have this held under the auspices of the
Central Labor union.
The strikers will go still further and ask
the American Federation Of Labor point
blank to make the attack general over the
Union Pacific system. This proposition will
be brought before the general officers and
the head lodges OF the conductors, tbs
trainmen and the enginemen.
As to Southern Pacific.
As regards pulling out the shopmen OF
the Southern Pacific, nothing is planned
yet, for the strikers do not believe thit
will be necessary. Yet they are confident
that they have the Southern Pacific mel
solid, and can call them out when desired
The strikers who attended the confer
ence were; Machinists, Wilson, Grace
Mildred, Muir and Britton; blacksmiths
Kline, White, Reuf, Hender, Grieb anC
Bowles boiler makers, Mcneil, Kennedy
Douglas O'Donnell machinists' helper
Schomel pipeman, Innes.
After the conference Mr.. Mcneil said
1--WE have shown them a good fight so far
but from now on It will be hotter than ever
I am going to my Kansas City headquar
ters tonight There will be no more con
ference with Mr.. Burt for a time"
Mr.. Wilson said: "Mr. Burt delivere
this ultimatum expecting that 1t would a
once crumble our ranks. that the me-
would break and begin going back to work
He'll not be long discovering his mistake
As matter of fact, think that March
II about his limit
Statement for the Company.
At Union Pacific headquarters yesterda
afternoon this official statement was mad
concerning the strike situation:
'Piecework has been a successful sys
tenn in the shops Of our company for 81
months past and the committee repre-
senting the strikers was told that n
change In the system could be made at th