Omaha daily bee., 1907-02-18
street Railway Mems side.

street Railway Mems side.
OMAHA, Feb. 16-To the Editor Of The
Bee: l note the contents of statement
made by Vice President G. W. wattles of
the Omaha & Council Bfuns Street Rail
way company which appeared in the att
ernoon issue of your paper. in which he
denies that his company has broken faith
with the union men, and tina, the company
has told the men but one thing, and that
was they would not recognize the union
but would treat with any individual who
had a grievance.
Now, do not care to get into news
paper controversy with Mr.. wattles but
wish to have the public know the truth OF
the matter. Something like ten months
ago, believe In the month of April, 1906 at
meeting between the board Of directors
Of the Omaha & Council Bluffs Street Rail-
way company and the executive committee
of local division No 2Ss, Amalgamated As
ISOLATION OF Street and Electric Railway
Employees Of America, located at Omaha
Neb., the company agreed not to discrim-
mate against the union men or antagonize
the union, and 1 wish to have II understood
that Mr.. Wattles was present at that
meeting. Since that time union men have
been Disseminated against, and the new
men employed by the company as motor
| men anu conductors nave Deen forced to
promise not to join the union in order to
secure employment. A fine state Of AFFAIRS
when a man must sacrifice his American
rights in order to earn an honest living.
| I note further that Mr.. Wattles says that
his company put no opposition in the way
at the time when the union was organized.
which is also incorrect. AS a matter OF
fact, there were seventeen men discharged
| in body for Joining the union. At that
| time a committee of the Central Labor
union, Of which T. L. Wilson, national vice
/ president OF the machinists union was
spokesman. met the company and secured
the reinstatement OF the victimized men.
| Still further on in his statement. he
I speaks Of the Issue confroptihg the people
Of Omaha and the street railway company
is a threatened strike on the part of the
union, a threat made by Vice President
Behner of the international association,
! that will tie up and paralyze Omaha in
dustry. This statement is also incorrect /
wish to say In reply to that, have read
| that a street car strike would paralyze In
dustry and that the street car men would
go the limit to avoid il. We do not wish
20 discommode the public. and will have
no strike unless II is forced upon us by the
company. We will consent to any, fair
| form of arbitration and abide by the de-
cision, or we will take the suggestion of
anyone that will bring about an honorable
adjustment Of the situation.
/ He also says that II HIS company does
not turn over the management OF It's en-
ployes to the union that II Is threatened
/ with strike that will drive all the old men
out of it's employ. I wish to say that a
union does not drive old men out OF en-
ploymert but on the contrary protects
! them against the unjust treatment at the
hands OF such corporations as do not re-
spect an Americans rights; and further,
| our Omaha union is composed OF the old
est men employed by the Omaha & Council
Bluffs Street Railway company. and the
reason that the new men are not members
is due to the Illegal pledge extorted from
them by Mr.. wattles' company.
Now. am willing now. and at any other
time. to let the public judge the policy OF
myself or our Omaha street railway men,
and. further IL the union asks the rail-
way company for an agreement. 1t will be
one that will absolutely bar a strike for
all time 10 come. Very truly yours,
| A. L. BEHNER
Vice Pres. A. A. OF s. and e. r. e. OF A.