The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1916-09-23
Organized Labor in New
York to Call Out
100000 Workers
ARE IN SYMPATHY
WITH TRACTION MEN
Such Action, if Successful, Would Force
Suspension of Newspapers, Shipping
and All Activities in Building Trade
Mayors Attitude

NEW YORK, Sept. Representatives
|Of organized labor. who have made com
mon cause with the Amalgamated Asso-
ciation OF Street and Electric Employees in
its fight with the traction companies, vot-
ed yesterday general suspension OF work
by every union wage Garner in New York
and vicinity, effective on Wednesday morn
ing next.
This was their answer to the written APP
peal of Mayor Mitchell and Chairman
Straus OF the public service commission
that sober second thought might hold
them in check. 80 far as is known, no
such action was ever heretofore taken by
trades unions OF tins country, nor was a
strike involving SO many trades ever called,
Ii successful, the strike will call from
work a maximum of 10000 men and wo-
men
| Many persons, among them Mayor
Mitchell and other city officials, expressed
doubt today as to the ability OF the lead
ers to carry out this ambitious undertake
ing, but this, at least, is their intention al
! expressed by them alter adopting the vote
for general suspension of work
| They admitted that every union in tht
city would have to take another vote OF
the proposal before Wednesday morning
but they insisted that this was matter
of routine that couId not change the re
suit OF yesterdays action
The vote yesterday of the leaders wa
adopted in keeping with a pledge that hao
been made IN the Amalgamated Associa
ton more than week ago, that organize,
labor in this city, under the leadership o
Samuel Gompers, president of the Ameri
can Federation OF Labor, would fight to
finish the master-and servant contract
isigned by the Interborough Rapid Transi
company and the New York Railways con
pany and their non-union service en-
ployes.
The Central Federated Union. represent
ing l25,0O0 workers, voted last night for
general strike on Wednesday.
r 1t was predicated on the contention tina
} the action OF the traction officials in en-
ploying strikebreakers, and of the maye
5 in manning cars with policemen. had d
r prived organized labor of its legitimat
4 means of transportation, and that 10y;
: unionists, their contracts with their en-
+ ployers notwithstanding, could not be e
\ Ipected to travel with nonunion crews
= going to and from their places of Ell
r ployment.
n Organized workers, their leaders 9
O planned, would therefore stay at hon
/ until such time as the authorities OF Il
d city, and the officials of the traction COZ
o panies, consented to restore condition
l. which would make it possible for SUI
d workers to ride in the streets without
s. Tense to their union allegiance
n 1t had been announced, when the pos
r bility OF general strike, or a suspense,
d OF work, as the leaders insisted on calli
it, was first suggested, that only su
workers as were employed in industries
rs lied to the transportation companies
t the city would be affected. but the uni
X officials decided, after a debate lasting
a yesterday afternoon, to go much furtl
n, than that.
re Their intention now is, unless the tn
of ton companies surrender in the meantin
az to involve every local organization viii
no is affiliated with the American Federati
IN of Labor or any other union of craftsm
Ir- in this city.
This means that they will attempt
ng force a suspension of the publication
lis newspapers, of shipping, of all of /
lr- activities of the building trades, and
&c all the other functions over which Il
tie have any authority.