The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1919-08-08
CRAFTSMEN OF
R. R. SHOPS TO
STAYAT WORK;
MEETING HELD
Two Hundred Men in Local
Shop Agree to Stay Ac~
ton Taken This Afternoon
by Remainder.
ASSURED, ON SITUATION

Members Of the local branch Of the
Carmen's Union numbering approx
mately 200. left their work at 2
o'clock Friday afternoon. following a
futile effort on the part Of H. c. Baker
and c. T. Fisher, business agents Of
the International organization. to
bring them back to work.
Approximately 200 men employed In
the car repair shops at the east yards
left their work at 2 o'clock Friday
afternoon, after a futile effort had
been made by H. c. Baker and c. T.
Fisher, business agents Of the inter-
national organization, to get the men
to return to their work and to rescind
the strike order.
At a meeting held In the east yards
repair shop shortly before the men
went on strike, the international union
representatives urged the men to stand
by the international officers and to re-
main at work until a general strike
was called.
In a short talk to the men, Fisher
told them that Director General Hines
had refused to confer with the men
as long as they were on strike.
Intimation of a general strike Of all
railway shop employees In the country,
which will probably be held the first
OF next month. was made by the two
union representatives. Each or the
representatives told the local carmen.
that unless their demands were met,
every man in the United States
would lay down his tools until they
got what they asked.
NWhor, fhiS ie 6nna the strike VIII
only be a matter Of hours he said.
1t was rumored that the general
strike is planned for September ?, uu-
less the demands of the workmen are
met before that time.
The men, however. declined to listen
to the pleadings of the visiting repre-
sentatives, and promptly at Q o'clock
they left the shops. A meeting was
held at o'clock at the Red Mems hall
where the strikers have taken up their
headquarters, and further effort was
made in vain to get the men to return
to work at this time. A parade of the
200 strikers through the city streets
was feature Of the afternoon.
The fact that they had been forced
to "scab" on the shops at Columbus
and Indianapolis. was given by one OF
the strikers as their reason for refus
ing TO return 10 "Ork
Car repair shops both at Indianap
oils and Columbus are on strike, anc
the men claim that they have beer
ordered to work on cars that should
have been handled at either of these
places.
There are about 200 men employed
in the shop crafts. which includes
blacksnliths, machinists, boilermakers
electricians and sheet metal workers
at the local shops. and their decision
to remain at work will probably pre-
vent n general tie-up of railroads
through Richmond, and a serious con
dit!ou among Richmond factories.
Richmond IS an engine terminal fol
truins between Logansport and Cincin
matt, Fort Wayne and Richmond, anC
Madison and Richmond, and a walkou
OF workers at the local shops probably
would mean that these lines would bt
completely tied up.
Business agents from the crafts
mems union addressed the workers a
a meeting held Friday noon, and as
sured the men that the conditions
throughout the country are not as ser
ious as the public has been led t.
believe.
Several places where 1t has beel
understood strike is now IN progress
many of the union men are at work
awaiting official action, in a nanne
similar to that adopted by the loca
branch Of the unions.
Action Independent.
The action taken Friday noon b.
the craftsmen was entirely independ
ent of any action that might be takel
by the carmen's union, members O
which are employed in the east yards
and no definite decision to return t
work on the part OF the latter possibl
could be reached before the genera
walk out at o'clock Friday after
noon.
Continued on Page TwoJ
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