The Montgomery advertiser., 1907-05-30
MACHINISTS
GO ON STRIKE
Disaffection at Decatur
Spreads.
WALK-OUT ON ENTIRE SYSTEM
Twelve Men Go Out in Local [.
and N. Shops.
OmcinIs Declare Men In MONTGOMERY
Did Not Want To Strike, but Did
50 In Obedience To Orders
From Headquarters.
WALK-OUT ON ENTIRE SYSTEM

of the Louisville and Nashville Rail-
road in pursuance to orders from union
headquarters at Washington. laid down
their tools yesterday morning at -
o'clock and went on strike. 1t -
claimed that the disaffection at the
Decatur shops has extended to the en-
tire system, and that the strike OF
machinists is general one.
President James O'Connell. of the ln-
ternational Association of Machinists.
said: You shall quit at the stroke or
nine Wednesday," and the entire ma
chinist force of the Louisville and
Nashville shops. unwillingly, 1t is de-
clared. acquiesced In the mandate and
struck AT the same hour 1t was sup
posed that union men in every Louis
Vile and Nashville shop of the system
laid aside their work and walked out
The strike was altogether uncalled
for. I never saw sorer set OF men
quit work than my men who laid down
their Jobs this morning. All of them
regretted to leave. Every one of them
is fine machInist. You cantt find
any better anywhere"
That is what Master Mechanic ID.
D. Briggs, OF the Louisville and Nash
Vile in Montgomery. said yesterday In
reference to the strike.
Because the Louisville and Nashville
Railroad Company recently discharged
thirty-four machinists from their De-
catur shops, the general strike of I'M
ion machinists on the system. which
had been looked for for several days,
was precipitated.
Pursuant To Orders.
Pursuant to President O'ConneiIs
orders eleven machinists employed at
the Louisville and Nashville round
house went to work at o'clock yes
terday morning and at o'clock walked
quietly out of the machine shop with
no i'll feeling toward the Master Me-
chanic or the railroad. At the same
time. five helpers and one apprentices
at the shops. and a machinist at Geor-
giana, employed from the local once,
stopped work.
Locaily the strike was wholly peace
full as the men donned their street
clothes TO await a settlement OF the
trouble.
Among the machinists who left the
company are G. w. Freeney. assistant
foreman of the machine shop. The
others who struck are Nose Scheusler.
James F. Johnson, j. B. Adams. w
H. McAmis, l.. p. McDonald II. M.
Hartley, Thomas H. Smith. Jacob
Weaver. W. F. White and l.. II.
Burns, and R. II. Smith, stationed at
Georgiana.
Briggs, the strike was caused by the
discharge of thirty-four machinists at
Decatur. The season was growing
dull, he said, and the railroad let part
of the force go. retaining the best men.
The union men took the position that
the men were discharged because they
had Joined the union.
A committee was sent to Louisville
to arbitrate with the company, but the
company took the position that there
was nothing on which to treat.
| IA
should have occurred" said the Mas
ter Mechanic. Il will say that the COM
pany VIII never knuckle to the union.
strike may continue indefnitelyi
Says Men Wanted To stay.
Mr.. Briggs emphasized the fact that
the boys" were such an excellent set
of men anu workmen that the strike.
locally was regretful to all concerns
ed. A number of the people. he said.
nicely situated and perfectly satisfied.
AT meeting in Birmingham Mon
dav week ago" the Master Mechanic
the strike. The Montgomery machin-
lists were unanimously against 1t. but.
notwithstanding this, they were order
ed to strike,
we have been running on smooth-
lY today. Our shop here is Just a turn
around shop. where slight repairs are
made. known as running repairs,
strike breakers would come to Mont-
gomery and he expected them to reach
here this morning or tonight. II there
should be "a delay he thought there
might be some gripping in the COM
pany's facilities at this point. He said
there were 200 strike-breakers already
in Decatur
The Master Mechanic received infor-
nation yesterday afternoon that out
of 100 machinists employed by the
Louisville and Nashville. only $50 had
The Louisville and Nashville ma
chine shops hero occupy only a corner
of the round house and the equipment
is very limited. The machines were
shut dawn-all day. after the strika
went into effect.
Denies TheIr UnwIIIingneas.
NJ e Barganier. Secretary of tho
local Machinists Union No. 446, who
was at the round house when the men
was precipitated because the Decatur
thirty four men were discharged. he
said because of their affiliation with
the union.
Mechanic Briggs on the position taken
by ehe local machinists as to whether
or not there shou-- be strike. AZ
vote recently taken by secret baliot.
he said, the 105 members of the Mont-
gomery union, voted unanimously In
favor of the strike.
The Secretary thought the strike
took effect yesterday over the entire.
system In this vicinity. he expected
Birmingham to go out 10 man. also
Mobile and New Orleans. and he ex-
pected about half of the men to quit
In Pensacola.
sion OF orders, he said. the Decatur
machinists struck twehty-tour hours
ahead OF scheduled time. which was
O'clock yesterday morning.
President O'Connells order reached
the recording Secretary of the local
union late Teusday night or early yes