The San Francisco call., 1906-10-02
EDITED BY O. M. BOYLE


a body blow to the seceders from the
brotherhood of Teamsters. At it's last
meeting 1T adopted a resolution which
says that 1T will not "countenance Sc
eeuers, no matter whence they come"
1hls is regarded as the most important
move yet made in the fight among the
teamsters.
The demand for union machinists in
the Plttsburg district at the present
time is greater than the supply. Re-
quests Tor men are being sent to the
headquarters Of the International AS
soclallon or Machinists from the North
ern racine Great Northern and Queen
ana crescent railroads. They are not
oeing nlled. Several Pittsburg plants
are running night shifts, which are
craving heavily upon the supply.
The employing photographers of the
country are so hard pressed to keep
the nelp they now have that they are
considering what they are pleased to
term shop rules which will give en-
proves more privileges and advantages
than they now enjoy. 1t is said that
TINS course was the only one left to
them to keep their help from jumping
over into the eight-hour movement,
Tor which the union photographers are
now striving.
No one can possibly know the re-
suits Of the election yet" said John
r. robin, general president of the
International Boot and Shoe Workers
Union, the other day. Until the can
vass of the votes is completed by the
inspectors no one can have any pos
sible way OF knowing the result"
thomas B. Hickey and his advisers,
however, claim that enough returns
are IN to insure the defeat of Mr..
Tob1n. In the recent Milwaukee con-
vention of the international body Mr..
robin was very outspoken against the
breaking of contracts. He said he
could not remain at the head of the
organization unless steps were taken
TO insure the inviolability of contracts.
he said Il am convinced that the only
practical way to sustain our contracts
is 10 provide in this convention for a
penalty fixing fine to act automati-
caiy and at once when strike occurs
IN violation of our contracts. We be-
lieve that legislation of this kind will
save US large sums of money"
Although the primary idea is to
bring about joint conferences between
employer and employe in the metal
troubles over matters in dispute, the
sympathetic strike is included in the
movement under foot to form an al
lance of machinists, molders, pattern
makers, blacksmiths and bofler-makers
throughout the country for offensive
and defensive purposes. The plan as at
present outlined is to have the wage
scale of the five unions named drawn
up so as to expire at the same time and
presented to the employers sinulta-
neously. In case of the refusal of the
former to grant the demands of any
of the crafts, the others would refuse
to work on any operation where nom
union men were hired to take i the
places of the men who were either on
strike or had been locked out
The Chicago committee which has
charge Of the threatened strike of tele-
graph operators of the Postal Tele-
graph Company has been turned down
by the company and the employees have
thus become further exasperated The
committee made the following report
the other day The committee which
has been negotiating with the Postal
Telegraph Company's officials in Chi
cago for a schedule of wages and
working conditions has failed to reach
satisfactory agreement. Only one
meeting between the representatives
or the operators and the company's
officials has taken place. An ultimatum
was delivered to the employees of the
company a few days ago which vir-
tually ignored the committee appointed
by the telegraphers. BY the action of
the company in delivering to each in
dividual employe a circular embodying
such articles as were accepted by them
the committeeman feel that a discour-
tesy has been shown them and that
action by the local body is necessary"
After fighting for six years In an
effort to prove their right to boycott
an open shop firm in Wilkesbarre, Pa.
the Building Trades Council of that
city has paid court costs and fines. The
progress of this case has been watched
with keen interest throughout this
country both by the advocates of the
open and closed shop. The defendants
were supported by their national or
ganization, which provides the funds.
In 1900 firm refused to sign the
closed shop agreement and soon after
ward the Building Trades Council of
Wilkesbarre prevented men from work
ing on buildings for which the boycotted
firm supplied lumber. An injunction
was issued against the defendant. Later
the court was informed that the In
Junction was being abused and after
a hard fight the union men were found
guilty or contempt of court