United labor bulletin., 1909-12-10
BREAKING UP STRIKES.

the subject of recent article in the
J Omaha World-Herald." The big street
railway strike in Omaha in full blast
when the article appeared. The World
Herald" said:
Probably few people realize that there
are now three great strike-breaking cor
porations in this country. besides null
titude of smaller ones. with the capital
of August Belmont and others behind
them, furnishing immense financial re-
. sources and army of men. Two years
ago the New York Herald" printed
. story regarding the scope of this new
business. and to the public it was
startling revelation.
Z These companies handle any kind of
strike. including that of railway switch
men, boilermakers. silversmiths, print
ers. street railway men and any or all
, classes of skilled labor and sometimes
the unskilled labor strikes, although the
others are the specialties of the COM
panies.
The waddell-Mahon company. which
. has charge of the present strike. is said
to have 100000 men on its lists. The
men. it is claimed by officials. are in
large measure those who quit their jobs
, at regular employment or get leave of
absence for 80 or co days to work as
strike-b breakers when the occasion de-
, mands There are many who prefer this
kind of work because of the love of ad-
, venture. the opportunity it affords to
travel over the country and the high pay.
1t pays well to the individual and also
! as business.
Jim Farley retired from the strike
breaking business a multimillionaire.
The companies are organized some
what on the lines of a circus They
J come in night all ready for business,
on very short notice They carry com
! plete commissary equipment Except
when il is not necessary in a large
town.. hospital dormitory equipment and
everything that can be possibly required
Special trains are chartered for jobs of
J any size
When a strike is called the official of
the strike-breaking corporation at the
graph to get the men together. and with
. in 20 hours they are on their way to
. point OF mobilization.
The business is organized in three
main departments-labor. commissary
and protection. The company in charge
J of the Omaha strike-breakers says that
Of its 700 men in the protection depart
ment so per cent. are former New York
: police officers drawing a pension from
that city and being from so TO GO years
old Where their work is required they
are sworn in as special police. The COM
pany has 200 rifles and 1000 side arms
J for this department, but the strike-break-
ers are forbidden to carry arms unless
sworn in as special officers.
The company was ready TO run 6.o0o
men into Chicago 10 days ago for the
street cars there. but the strike was set,
tied.
The average strike calls for about 500
men and costs the company about s10,-
Oo0 day. including loss of revenues.
The transportation bill to Omaha alone
was $4,000.
The strike at San Francisco lasted five
months and cost the company about ST.
ANt.NNN. IL ne WpEst even tNPtiA-I
enced by the company 'now in Omaha
was at Yonkers. n. V. and lasted five
Il days. When strike is settled the men
hurry out Immediately. the next morn
ing there being not sign of men or
equipment in the barns which they had
occupied.
i In times of peace the company often
furnishes nonunion labor.
The camps during strikes are made in
factories. manufacturing plants or car
barns. Cooks. BARRIERS and laundry
equipment are carried The men are
kept in under strict discipline. If they
were allowed to go out in a body trouble
would be sure to start. and the company
seeks to avoid this.
Entertainment is provided the men. In
a street railway strike they are out on
the line, but when they are cooped up in
n factory music of some kind-musicians
or phonograph-is supplied to help en-
| tertain, and there are always some good
entertainers in crowd of men. They
also are supplied with card tables. news
papers and magazines.
i thrifty man can be away for a
month or two and not spend cent while
drawing a good wage and pocketing per-
quisites Board, transportation. laundry,
everything is furnished him free.
often in car strikes in the East It has
been necessary to screen the cars with
heavy wire netting and carry lot of
armed guards The men in the company
here think that the people in the West
have a greater regard for the laws than
those in the East.
The company which is operating here
has three jobs on hand now and has had
| IL nj one time-The Artisan.