The Spokane press. [volume] (Spokane, Wash.) 1902-1939, 1905-05-06
BY Jacob waldeck.


paper Enterprise Association.
CHICAGO. May 6.-There is an
ostensible and a. real cause of the
disastrous strike conditions here.
Apparently they are the result of
the refusal of Montgomery Ward &
Co. to reemploy 19 striking garment
workers.
In fact, they have come about
through an effort of the employers to
'break' the teamsters union, the
strongest labor organization in the
city.
Disinterested citizens are urging a
settlement.
The teamsters are willing to arbi-
trate.
The employers refuse to listen to
peace talk. They have long prepared
for what they intended should be
war of determination.
The employers believe that the
present issue is favorable to theil
side, the teamsters having no griev
ances as to wages or hours, and be-
ing engaged in a purely sympathetic
strike.
fght-pressing II with money unlim
tied. the talent of their best lawyers,
their influence in court, and with the
authorities. 1t must be to finish,
they say. a finish favorable to them.
While willing to conclude peace. the
teamsters are not shrinking from the
conflict They have full confidence
in their ability, with 10000 members.
to take care of themselves. They look
upon it as a fight by organized capital
on unionism, and they believe the
union men of Chicago. over 100000 in
number, will see OF it that unionism
is not whipped.
Meantime the unoffending public is
suffering great inconvenience. Be
yond lies the certainty of war prices
for food and the possibility of famine.
Historically the present labor
trouble is a matter of six months. 1t
dates back to last November when
the National Wholesale Tailors' as
sociation decided to establish the
open shop. The association repudi-
eted n wage contract then in force
between its members and the United
Garment Workers union. The en-
ployers refused to arbitrate 1t was
virtually a lockout Five thousand
garment workers were affected. The
strike. while officially in effect, has
in fact been lost by the union.
A short time ago the teamsters
voted to assist the garment workers
by a sympathetic strike. II was
decided to begin the attack on Mont
gomery Ward & Co, a mail order
house having a large number of
teams. A strike was declared. The
firm is a member of the Wholesale
Tailors' association and had employed
10 members of the garment workers
union.
1t soon became apparent to the gar
ment workers that they were not 60
ing to be materially benefited by the
fight on Ward & Co, and they eN
pressed a willingness to call it off
The teamsters offered to return tt
work They were held up by the firm
II was told them that some of tn,
Transfers who, 1t was charged, hat
been guilty of violence, would not
be reemployed at all, and that The
others would be taken back as rapidly
as possible.
So the teamsters continued tht
strike When the department stores
insisted on goods being delivered &c
Ward & Co. their Transfers struck
When wholesale grocers ordered
goods hauled 10 the department stores
their drivers Joined the strike. Goa
dealers who directed that fuel bs
taken to Ward & Co., or the depart
ment stores or the wholesale grocers
found themselves without Transfers
Retail grocery drivers refused 10 hau
goods from the stocks of the whole
sale grocers, who had tried to force
their drivers to deliver goods to tht
department stores, who had insisted
on delivering to Ward g. Co, who had
refused to take back their striking
tesmsters. Express wagon drivers re
fused to deliver packages to any o,
the unfair" firms. Teaming con
tractors who tried to have work done
for any of these firms found them
selves bereft Of Transfers.