The Elbert County tribune., 1908-03-19
RIO GRANDE
SH0PMEN OUT
STRIKE AFFECTS EMPLOYEES IN
COLORADO, UTAH AND
NEW MEXICO.
$500 MEN QUIT WORK
POSSIBILITY THAT 1T MAY
SPREAD TO WHOLE GOULD
SYSTEM.

Denver.-Failing 10 reach an ami.
cable settlement OF the labor contract
question, which has been pending since
February 18th, the shop employees of
the Denver & Rio Grande system in
Colorado, Utah and New Mexico. es.f-
mated at $500, quit work at 10 o'clock
Monday, and went out on strike, Three
hundred men are out in Denver. The
strikers include machirists, boiler
makers. blacksmiths. apprentices and
helpers in these trades, and a number
of carmen and Greek laborers. The
strike may extend to all the Gould
railroads. In most of the shops the
foreman also joined the men, and the
ueup Tor the present is complete
The Rock Island. which houses its
engines and has them repaired in the
Denver & Rio Grande shops at Denver
and Pueblo. is indirectly affected but
, has made arrangements to send union
men TO these two cities to do Rock Is-
land work exclusively. The Rio Grande
omcials refuse to make a statement.
vice President Charles H. Schlaeks
left Monday for New York. presumably
10 confet with the president and direc-
tors of the system with regard to the
strike. The Denver e Rio Grande mas
lust received twenty weight new engines
which are to be put into service at
once.
1t is not expected that the strike will
seriously interfere with the operation
of trains for several days, and in the
meantime, it Is understood. the railroad
officials are preparing to secure men to
I'LL the places of the strikers. A num-
Der OF deputy sheriffs have been sworn
in to guard the Rio Grande shops, and
signs have been placed in conspicuous
places warning trespassers.
The union men declare they will not
molest the shops or trespass upon the
property of the company, and to keep
the men together arrangements have
been made to open strike headquarters
IN room SOB Club building, and also
near the Burnham shops.
Ofhcers of the organizations on strike
are responsible for the following state
ment:
The unions involved have for many
years had contracts with the Denver {,
Rio Grande regarding the rate of pay
and the working conditions These
rules were apparently pleasing to the
Denver & Rio Grande until the panic
came on when it became apparent that
unionism was to be driven from the
for years TO receive fair recognition.
and our contracts were reasonable and
just. They We're entered into in ap-
parent good faith by both parties. The
Rio Grande, on February 18th. served
notice that it intended to abrogate the
agreements. Our committees came TO
Denver to hold conference with the
ofhcials TO ascertain the cause of this.
Ihey received no satisfaction, but on
the contrary the Rio Grande, from day
10 day. adopted a policy of changing
the rules regarding working hours.
Ihe order was to go into effect on
March l4th, but we We're in conference
with the officials, and they decided to
postpone action until today.
we offered to arbitrate, but this was
refused. We then agreed to accept the
new rules If the railroad officials would
agree to sign an agreement not to
change them for one year. They re-
fused to sign even for thirty days.
In explanation they said unionism
is too costly, but on the other hand.
they claim the men employed will re-
ceive the same wages The Rio Grande
has discharged two-thirds of its me-
chanical employees since January list.
1t is evidently a well studied move to
hammer down wages.
The men involved in this strike
have worked for the Denver &, Rio
Grande for periods ranging from two
to twenty years. They are men with
families. who have been thrifty and
can stand siege. The men on the
other Gould roads are only awaiting
orders to go out with u.s."