The Oskaloosa herald., 1905-05-11
IN CHICAGO STRIKE.

THE CHICAGO STRIKE.
Chicago, which has had worse labor
disturbances than any other city in
the United States, and more OF them,
Is confronted with another convulsion.
The strike Of the teamsters' union has
gone far beyond the proportions ex-
pectsd at the beginning, and the dam.
age which has been inflicted on many
of the great interests of the city has
reached ~portentous proportions. Judge
Kohlsaat OF the United States circuit
court has issued an Injunction re-
straining the strikers from interfering
with the wagons of the employers
teaming company, AS the whole pow.
er Of the ntional government stands
behind this decree, 1t will be enforced
The United States troops have been
ordered to be In readiness to protect
wagons moving government coin and
bullion. Twelve labor union leaders
responsible for the strike, including
the international president, have been
indicted by the grand jury on charges
Of conspiracy.
IL requires a serious situation to
justify these proceedings. The situa.
ton is serious. The strikers have as
sailed men who have taken their
places and murdered several Of them.
| Wagons manned by n~on.union men
have been attacked, the drivers killed
or injured and goods destroyed. Shop.
pers have been Obliged to carry their
own purchases. Grocers and others
have been warned by the strikers not
to deliver any goods to the boycotted
deparement stores, under the penalty
of being themselves b~oycotted. Riot
GUS scenes are OF daily occurrence In
the business districts.
The striking teamsters have little
public sympathy In the present din.
| %cultfes, as they had no grievance 10
| start with. They were under contract
TO their employers not to strike, dur.
ing the life OF an agreement which
had been accepted as mutually salts
factory by both parties. The cause
of the strike was roundabout. Last
November the garment workers I'm
ion declared n general strike against
employers VINO refused to sign con
tracts dictated. by the union. The
clothing manufacturers generally &C.
cepted the gage. TIE strike proved
a lzzle. Many OF the original strik-
ers are back at work on n non
union basis. The places of others
49,. I.4.r, anal nNgtnp fhn npag.
ent year little was heard Of the gar
ment workers strike until the team
sters took up the cudgels, and the
movement was looked upon as a
dead letter. About the first OF April
it was announced that unless the sim
gle firm of Montgomery Ward q Co.
should discharge its n%on-unlon gar.
ment workers and re.employ the
strikers the teamsters would declare
a sympathetic strike against the
firm. The firm In question was only
one OF twenty.elght against which
the garment workers strike was al
rected. 1t was one OF the smallest
Of the t~wenty-elght, employing a
mere handful Of garment workers,
in, comparison to the pay rolls OF
some Of the large clothing manufac'
turers.
While the teamsters were working
tooth and nail against Ward e. Co.
a curious thing happened. The gar.
ment workers saw that little good
was coming to them as a result OF
the teamsters' campaign. The gar
ment workers insisted that the team
sters should extend the strike
against all the employing firms,
which, like Montgomery Ward & Co,
had failed to come to terms. This
the teamsters refused TO do. Then
the garment workers decided to with.
draw their strike against Ward &c Co.
This left the teamsters without any
basis for a sympathetic strike. They
decided to go back to work
If Ward & Co. would employ them
on the same basis as before, dis.
charging %non-union teamsters who
had been hired to take their places.
The question was referred to the EN-.
ployers' association, which promptly
decided that It would not do to re-
stors to their old standing men who
had violated their contracts, and
that the strikers would have to take
chances on getting back their old
places on an open shop basis. The
acceptance by the teamsters Of this
decision would Q the virtual dis.
ruption Of the union. The union
teamsters have decided to fight IL
out, and the strike has been made
general.