The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1903-05-27

II the union employees OF the Utah
Light G. Power company may
throw Salt Lake into darkness, tie up
the street car service in this city
and shut down all smelters Oper-
aeed by electrical power. Every en-
ploye of the company in this
city amenable to the strike orders,
from station tenders down to me-
ter men. walked out during the after
noon. The station tenders in the power
plants in Cottonwood canyon, Provo,
Logan and Ogden were ordered out.
Reports have been received that they
obeyed the orders. Company officials,
however, received a different report.
They stated that the men outside of
Salt Lake had not quit work. All strik-
eTs have been summoned 10 this city
and a meeting vii probably be held to-
day to discuss further steps.
p For while in the afternoon it looked
as If every power plant of the company
s IN the state would be shut down, but
ne company was able to prevent this
+ Inconvenience temporarily by placing
non-union men a work. The station at
Murray and several sub-stations in the
city are operating themselves. The
others are all running short-handed.
Union pickets are out endeavOring to
get the substitutes that are working
10 walk out in sympathy.
Situation Is Serious.
The officials of the company state
that affairs are in a very critical stage
and they cannot tell what the outcome
VIII be. They propose to keep the
plants running as long as they can with
non-union help. If this fails they will
be forced to shut down until some set
Element is made.
In this city sixty-five strikers went
out, including station tenders. Hnemen.
metermen and trimmers. About fifteen
y or twenty station tenders in outside
4 places also quit their work, according
10 strike reports.
The strike is the result of a demand
upon the company by the union men for
shorter hours. more wages and. recOg-
milton of their union. The strikers
stated that il was not their intention
10 tie up the company COM
pletely last night. but that they
proposed to have their demands or
remain out until they got some kind of
settlement. They announce their in
tention of forcing everything TO close
down unless some overture is made for
arbitration
Use Only Legitimate Means.
They assert. however. that none but
legitimate means viii be used in secUr-
ing their demands Groups of strikers
stood about the streets during the aft
ernOOE discussing the situation. while
others labored at the various stations
trying 10 get the nOn-uniOn men TO
walk out. In the meantime hurried
consultations were being held at the
power company Office between the Of
fcials of the company and the street
car system relative to courses to be
pursued in case of a complete tie-up-
According to the statements by both
sides. the trouble has been brewing for
some time. Matters began TO assume
definite shape at a special meeting of
the IndcDendent Brotherhood of Elec-
Atrical Workers, with which all the cleo
4 trica1 workers are affiliated. Al that
meeting a grievance committee. COM
posed of J. W. TrusseH, c. +. Boston
and John Irvine. was appointed aud the
following petition 10 the company was
drafted and placed in its hands for
presentation to the company. The de-
mand reads:
Demand on Company.
Salt Lake City. Utah. May 25 1898.
Mr. r. s Campbell. General Manager
tab Light q Power Company. Salt
Dear Sir: we. the employees of the Utah
Light & Power company i'm the several
departments mentioned. present to You.
through our committee. the following
schedule Of wages and hours for which we
Your attention 10 the fact that the past
year or two has seen a general increase in
wages and shortening of hours ali over
the country. ana that the right of work
ingmen to band themselves together in
order to better their conditions is recOg-
niZed BY large employers of labor and by
Hose in high authority We further a Six
YOU to consider that the country is en-
loving an unprecedented era Of ur0sueritv
especially this section of the west and IS
a result the cost of living has materially
increased. We ask You to compare the
wages received by other skilled trades fl.
this section. ana we hope that YOU reas;-e
that raising the wages and conditions OF
labor viii consequently raise the standard
OF the employees and er1cie2cy of service,
which is of increasing Importance TO en-
ployers Of skilled labor.
For these reasons We feel confident IN
the business, right and reason of what We
are asking the company. also confident
that our requests viii be granted.
Following is proposed schedule FOR sta
tionmen, hnemen, metermen and trim
mers;
1-RecoEnition of the union
Eight hours to constitute a DAYS
5-S75 per month minimum rate OF wages
for operators, with no reduction in pres
Linemen.
I-RccOEnitiou Of union
Eight hours TO constitute days
$3.50 per day for linemen, 81 per day
for Sub-fOrcmeu.
-Overtime al rate Of time and onc-haIt
and Sundays and legal holidays at rate
OF double time
5-To be paid fortuiEhtly
6-Linemen 30 clear up line trouble.
Metermen.
1-RcCoEnition OF union.
Eight hours - constitute days
work
$50 per month.
Trimmers.
1-RecOgnition of union
SO per month
. 3-Trimmers not TO clear up line trouble
\ or change lamps
ITO be paid fOrtnightIy.
The proposed schedule to so into effect
June !, 1903.
We request an answer by Thursday:
Respectfully submitted
EMPLOYEES UTAH LIGHT & POWER I
CCMPANY-
This document was presented to Mr. J
Campbell Monday afternoon just before
time for him TO leave on a trip east to
attend a general convention of cleo
trical engineers in Chicago.
Statement of the Union.
Mr.. Campiosll informed US that ne /