The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1918-07-04
VOTE FOR ASTRIKE
Sixty Transfers Say They'll
s'GO OUT Tomorrow Morning.
Atherton, Merchants, Topeka
Transfer Co.'s Affected.
Twelve employees OUT NOW
Employers Claim Trouble Was
Started by Walking Delegate.
Gayhart Says Drivers Refused
To Work With Negro.

Sixty members of the local team
sters' union will be on strike tomor-
row morning. according to a vote
taken at a meeting of the union We'd
be affected by the strike are the Mer-
chants Transfer Co., the Atherton
Transfer Co., and the Topeka Transfer
Co. Twelve teamsters of the Mer-
chants company are already out and
have been since Wednesday noon.
According to the announcement the
teamsters are going strike because
the employers absolutely refused to
treat with the union committee, or the
business agent appointed to handle
]. H. Gayhart, of the Merchants Trans
fer Co.. the business agent referred to
is a man named Simmons.
Fired for INSTRUMENTATION.
The beginning of the strike was
made Wednesday morning about 1850
o'clock when Gayhart discharged three
men for INSTRUMENTATION. This is ac-
cording to Gayhart's statement this
morning.
"wednesday morning we sent out
two wagons to deliver some goods for
a local wholesale house." said Cay
hart today. About 1880 O'Clock one
of the men on the job called the Of
flee saying that he and his two part
ners would no longer work with
Niger A colored fellow was work
ing on the JOD as d IlelpSII ldO DcCH
working side by side with these same
men for the last two years; and was
hired in the first place at the iRstiga-
ton of these men.
Refused to Unload Wagon.
81 asked the men if they were going
to go ahead and unload the wagon.
They said they would not, so told
them to come to the office ana ge:
their time. 1t seems to me that this
was the start of the whole affair.
I'm the afternoon a man named
Simmons, who said he was a walking
delegate of the Transfers union. and
one of my men named Fields came
into the office. Simmons said he
wanted to talk ever the situation with
me. and said that all of my men would
strike because 1 had discharged TWO
union men.
LAS a matter of fact I did not know
whether the men I discharged for in
subordination were union men Or not
II did not care-they were dis
charged for refusal to obey orders.
Presented Petition.
when Simmons made his demand
he offered me a paper which he said
was a petition signed by all the men
in my employ I then told Simmons
that l would not discuss the matter
with him at all, but that if any of my
men had any grievance they could
come to me as individuals and talk
We will continue operation as we
have in the past" asserted Gayhart, in
conclusion.
So far Atherton and the Topeka
Transfer company have had no notice
that their men were going out on
strike tomorrow morning
Anterior said this morning that
$50 far l have had no trouble with my
teamsters, altho one man has been
bothering me lately"
o. H White, the Topeka Transfer
company, said today that the Topeka
Transfer company has not been noti-
fled by the men that they are going to
strike"
"DeEegate' Caused Trouble?
The intima ton today that Simmons
is instrumental in handling the strike
is not the first time that he has been
in the eyes of employers of teamsters.
At short intervals for the last few
weeks various employers of this class
of help have been heard to complain
that some walking delegate was in the
habit of topping the teams while they
were at work and engaging the team
SterS in co versation.
Employers report that Simmons
stopped driver for a local coal COM
pany and declared his intentions of
pulling the driver off the wagon. The
report says that the driver did not see
things that way and climbed down
with shovel ready for action. Sim
mons did not press this argument.
In connection with the strike vote
taken by the employees of the three
transfer companies Wednesday night,
the warning was issued that if any
other firm tried to take over the tied
up work that all of the transfers in
theecity would be called out
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p II