The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1907-07-06
ICE DRIVERS STRIKE ENDS
THE UNION YIELDS WITHOUT
GAINING A POINT.

state Board OF Arbitration Advised the
strikers 60 Give In-GO Back at the
same wages and an the Opsn shop
BASEBALL Business Agents Barred.
The strike OF the Ioe Wagon Drivers
Union against he American Ice Company
was declared of late yesterday afternoon at
a mass meeting Of the strikers at 16l Eighth
avenue and the strikers will return TO work
again this morning.
They 20 back to work, the company officials
say. under exactly the same conditions as
existed before the strike was declared. All
the strikers will be reinstated without
discrimination. but the business agent
will not be recognized and the men go back
to work on the open shop basis. This was
the condition existing before they struck.
The strike was called OF by the advice
of John j. Bealin and Col. Michael J. Reagan,
representing the State Board Of Mediation
and Arbitration. This decision was has
tened by the failure Of the officers Of the
union to carry out b resolution TO extend
the strike. Not a man would go out north
OF ThirSy-fourth street.
The fact that the fight was for the reoog-
milton OF the union and the business agent
and that the question Of wages was not
involved had a depressing effect on the
strike at the start.
Brooklyn was the only borough that had
it's ice supply tied up and the Brooklyn
delegates were the only ones who opposed
calling Oh the strike. Even in Brooklyn
the competitors Of the company. who supply
SO per cent. Of the Ice to the Greater New
York, prevented an actual ice famine.
Before the strike was ended the mem
bers OF the State board had a talk at the
Offices OF the board. ia East Twenty-eighth
street. with Business Agent Forretti and
other officers Of the union. Then Col.
Reagan telephoned to President Wesley M.
0ler OF the American Ice Company asking
him II he would be willing to confer with a
committee Of the men.
At first Mr.. Oler refused to see any COM
mittee unless the strike was called OF,
but afterwsrd agreed to hear what the
committee had to say. The committee first
consisted Of President Kearney and Record
ing Secretary William Brown OF the union
and @. W. Haines and G. Me~isenbecker. two
Brooklyn members. Mr.. Oler declined to
see Kearney because he was not an employee
Of the company and his name was stricken
of the COMMITTEES. The other three by CON-
sent Of both sides went TO MIR. Oler's Office
at Tw~enty-eighth street and Broadway as
representatives Of the employees and not
Of the union They were accompanied by
the two members Of the State board, who
took part in the conference.
The demands were gone over. which
were. as far as wages were concerned,
SIC a week for drivers. including The men
in the suburbs who are getting SIS a week.
and 81 a day for helpers. and recognition
Of the union and its business agents, which
meant that none but members of the union
should be employed.
Mr.. Oler said that the men were getting
SIC a week except in the suburbs or out
lying districts, and the helpers were getting
81 a day. II the strike was declared of,
he said. all the strikers would be reinstated
without discrimination. He did not care
whether the men belonged to a union or
not, but he could not do business with the
union or its business agents. or. by agree
ing to discharge ~non-union men. make
the COMPANY q clearing house for the union
III the men went back at once a bonus OF
$50 which had been given for good work
at the end Of zach year for the Brooklyn
men and s2e for the Manhattan men would
be continued.
The meeting at which the strike was
declared of was brief. The officers Of
the union, including Business Agent Fer
retti. told the men that they had won a
moral victory, and that taking all the men
back was a great thing for the union. The
strike was called of amid cheers,