Valentine Democrat. (Valentine, Neb.) 1900-1930, 1905-06-01
COST OF THE CHICAGO STRIKE
Teamsters' Struggle Involves Heavy
Loss Both to Men and employers.

sums IN loss 81 wages ana ucIfcdNtN IUe
earnings Of employed union team>tCrS 10
IL material extent through strike fund as
ScSSmentS. 1t has been Il source of heavy
expense 10 the city and county and for
weeks has kept the city in a state of
violence and disorder, resulting in nine
deaths and injury to nearly 900 persons.
1t is Il sympathetic strike. growing ont
of a labor issue which had been practl-
cally dead for months, but was ineXpli-
cably revived. This was the trouble Of
the garment workers, which dates back
to the middle of last November. At
that time the Wholesale Tailor>' Assoc
citation, following negotiations for the
renewal Of contracts. which the employ
erS claimed had been broken by the
union. declared for the open shop. and be-
tween walkouts and lOckoutS over 1000
garment workers soon We're idle.
Montgomery Ward 4 Co. kept their
union garment workers employed unit,
Dec. H. when the union protested
against the firm sending out picccwOrk 10
two non-unon tailors. and Business
Agent Olvey called out the union work
ers. Their places, as had been the case
with other concerns, were filled with
nOn-uniOn men.
Early this year the garment workers
appealed to the tcamStcr$ for assistance,
but nothing came of it until the latter
part of March. when the drivers began to
assume a threatening attitude. 50 far az
Montgomery Ward Il Co. were concern
cd. Then an ultimatum was submitted
to the firm by the transfers demanding
hot No 10 10
submitted to arbitration This WAS dis
regarded, and April the scventy-one
teamsters employed by the firm walked
out
The firm demanded police protection
and began sending protected caravans
through the streets. At the same time
the managers of the express companies
met and decided that teamStcrS who re
fused to deliver to Montgomery Ward
Il Co would be discharged. In the mean
time &. =. Shea, international president
of the tcamSterS. had been called to the
city ami took active charge of the strike.
Matters quickly assumed more Srri
Gus aspect, and April Is the employers
met and organized the Employers Team
ing Company. Steps for aggressive ac
ton were taken. Stock to the amount
of 100000 was subscribed within few
minutes. and the purchase of horses and
trucks began. and already there was talk
Of applying for federal injunctions
against Interference with the operations
of the company, which was incorporated
under the laws Of West Virginia.
The transfers also at this point as
sumed a bOIder attitude and began to
extend the strike. The union proposed
arbitration. but the employers maintain
ed that as they were not involved in the
garment workers strike and as the team
sters had broken contracts there was
nothing to arbitrate.
President Shea demanded that the
striking teanSters of Montgomery Ward
& Co. be reinStated. but that firm put
the proposition up to the Employers AS
SOcia ton and the latter organization de-
cided against the reinstatement of Strik-
ing teamsters by any of the companies
involved.
April - the strike was resumed with
renewed yigOr and extended to scores of
wholesale and retail establishments which
had dealings with Montgomery Ward &
Co. Within twenty-fOur hours $500
teamSters We're out. and the following
day the number was increased to 300.
The first aid sought in the federal
courts was April %. when an injunction
was secured against interference with
employees. wagons or barns of the EN-
ployers' leaning Company. As the
strike progressed other injunctionS We're
asked, and altogether nine of these writs
have been issued. At the same time the
matter was taken before the Cook county
grand jury, and April % indictments
were voted against President Shea and
eleven other union officials for conspiracy
to ruin the business of Montgomery
Ward Il Co.
With the beginning of May. rioting.
smuggling and general disturbances by
mobs in the streets developed % such an
extent that the entire police force was
kept on constant reserve duty. Under
these conditions the eXertionS of the pO-
lice We're taxed to their utmost. and AS
stsant Chief Schuettler. who had direct
charge Of the strike, was given 500 addi-
tiOnal policemen.
y committee of business men called
on Gov. Deneen and urged him to call
OuI lHc state IlllIlJld. DuJ he Iflt>t' Il On
the ground that the resources of the
county had not been exhausted. At this
point Sheriff Barrett became Il factor in
the strike and began swearing in deputy
sheriffs. the number finally reaching
5000.
The extra cost TO the city to date for
added police service. including allowances
for meals to the 5000 policemen kept
on constant duty. will foot mp nearly
$4,000. and the expense To the county
for special deputy sheriffS Will aggregate
$4,000. The losses in business To the
wholesale and retail firms involved in the
strike is roughly estimated at $1,000
600. while railroad freight business is
said TO have suffered to the extent Of
more than S1,000O00. The amount lost
in wages by the striking teamsterS is
estimated at S2J0000. and the amount
paid as assessments into the strike fund
by working members of the union
reaches close to 100000.
Efforts toward peace were numerous,
various commissions and committees be-
ing appointed by the Mayor from time
to time. but all to no purpose When
President ROaSpvpIt visited tho CITY tho