Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1907-03-23
FIREMEN
ARE OUT
.EMPLoYEs AT THE POWER HOUSE
OF STREET CAR COMPANY GO
ON STRIKE
WALKoUT LAST NIGHT

| WALKOUT LAST NIGHT
Recognition Of New Union Cause Of
DifficuIty-company objects to Clos
ed Shop Observation-Disclosures Force
Keeps Plant at Work.
From Fridays Daily
Thirteen fremen, oilers, cinder
/ wheelers and coal passers, members OF
the Stationary Firemen's union, en-
! ployed at the power house of the OF
tumwa Railway & Light Co., are out,
and according to statement made by
General Organized H. E. Rowe, they
are going to stay out until the agree
ment they desire from the company is
signed.
At 1920 o'clock last evening the five
men belonging to the night shift walk
ed out.
Chief Engineer Grant, assisted by
| two or three helpers, however, sue
ceeded in keeping the plant running
during the rest of the night and 1t is
| in operation today, though with re-
duced force. in the meantime the rail-
/ ~
take the places of those that have
struck.
The trouble is caused over dis
agreement between the company and
the F'iremen's union, the real question
being the closed or open shop, or in
other words the forn1la and full rec
ognition of the union.
4 At the conference yesterday between
| the grievance committee of the Trades
and Labor Assembly and w. F. Raber,
manager of the company, Raber refus-
ed to sign the agreement presented to
him, asking for a delay on the settle
nent until after April /. According tc
/ the men, they felt that since the COM
pany had had sixty days in which to
consider the agreement, any further
delay was unnecessary and the walk
out followed. The grievance commit
y tee of the assembly is composed of +
Il D. Queeney, L. L. Lightner and Walter
Minnick.
/ Trouble Will Not Spread?
i At present there seems to be no rea-
son to believe that the street car men
l or the electricians employed by the
i company will become embroiled in the
existing difficulty. One of the mem.
, bers of the grievance committee STATED
this morning that there was absolute.
J, ly no foundation for any rumors thai
might be afloat to the effect that eithel
I street car men or electricians Woulc
take any drastic action.
One Of the officials of the street cal
men stated that the local union haf
wired to the International telling o
the situation and asking for instruc
ceived from the headquarters as yet.
!, officials of the Electricians unior
| said that they had not even taken tn
!, step Of notifying their international
and would not until two committee
= reported, which committees had BEEF
: appointed day or so ago to consul
with the street car men and with tn
f1remen
1t is said that meeting will be hel,
tonight by the street car men at whicl
, both firemen and electricians will b
> represented and 1t is possible tina
:, some further developments may the1
appear.
!, The Employees Side Of the Strike.
!. Some four months ago the Station
airy Firemen's union was organized Il
Ottumwa. About sixty days ago ne
! gotiations were begun with the ottum
. wa Railway and Light Co. These ne
. gotiations have been carried on by tn
grievance committee of the loca
! Trades and Labor assembly.
According to Statement this morn
ing by one of the members Of thi
committee, when the matter Of sfgnfn
a scale for the fremen in the emplo
} of the street car company was frs
u taken UP with General Manager w. !
2 Raber Mr.. Raber stated that he woul
n like to refer the matter to w. S.AHue.
8 the president of the local company an
. vice president Of H. M. Byllesby
" Co.
. The committee states that the agree
u ment was sent to Mr.. Huey and latt
L returned to Mr.. Raber without any az
a ton being taken, After having, as the
put it, been put of for. about tw
g months, the committee yesterda
Y evening met with Mr.. Raber for a f
% nal conference, being instructed by tt
= firemen to get final answer from tt
street car company. ~
u The committee claims that they eve
J, offered to sign temporary agreeme,
e at the old price paid to the employs
but that Mr.. Raber refused to do tina
asking the men to wait until, April
as he wished to take UP the matter
the annual meeting of the compan
H. Failing to get q final answer, I'll
= committee so reported to the fireme
- and the waA,-out last night followed
\, How the Company Sees 1t.
le The company's side Of the story di
IS fers in some places, agrees in other
Both company and men admit that Il
8 struggle is for recognition Of the uni;
h and the closed shop. WE. Raber
statement made this morning sa
= that he would have been willing
u sign the agreement We're 1T not f
the closed shop provision which
contains.
However the closed shop Is,
at course, one of the principal things f
tie which the union is contending. N
,e Raber also stated that he objected
hl the CHASING Of oilers who work in t
-. engineroom as frenen. He stated al
70 that he had asked the commit
lie cent the old scale of wages provid
he would sign the agreement. He ave