Omaha daily bee., 1920-04-08
More Than 10000 Men at
Chicago and Several Hun
dred at Buffalo and Cham
paign, I'LL, Now Idle.
STOCKYARDS EMPLOYEES
THROWN OUT OF WORK
Two Organizations, Charac.
terized as "Rump" Unions.
Challenge the Right Of Labor
Heads to Lead Their Men.

Chicago. April AN unauthor-
lied strike OF railroad employees
which started week ago in the
Chicago switching district by the
discharge of yard conductor, to-
night had spread until it had affected
Is railroads and in Chicago had
thrown more than $4,000 men out
of work, either directly or indirect
More than 10000 union railroad
men in Chicago and several hundred
at Buffalo and at Champaign, Ill.
were on strike. Hundreds of Chi
cago packing house employees were
idle for lack of live stock.
Two OUTLAW" organizations,
branded by the established brother
hoods as trump" unions. had sprang
up to challenge the right of the
labor heads to lead their men.
Pledge Support to Roads.
In the face of this opposition from
within the brotherhoods of engin-
eers, railway trainmen, firemen and
enginemen and the Switchmen's
Union of North America pledged
their support to railroad officers id
breaking the walkout and to itffat
end union railroad men throughout
the country have been urged to re-
port to Chicago to serve as strike
breakers.
Managers of Is roads in the Chi
cago terminal district affected by
the strike, today agreed to give
brotherhood officers at least another
day in which to restore normal con-
ditions and, through their spokes-
men, declared themselves confident
that the unions would succeed.
Some union leaders voiced the
same confidence, but others declared
the strike fever was "in the air."
that even the most conservative
men were quitting work and that
the task of keeping the trains NOV
ing appeared difficult
Difference Of Opinion.
Wide difference of opinion ex-
listed as to how many men had joined
the walkout. Charles Riley, vice
president of the Chicago Yardmen's
association, who called the original
strike, said $4,000 switchmen and
5000 engineers were idle, but rail-
road officials and brotherhood heads
secuted his figures as far too large.
w. ]. Trest, vice president of the
Switchmen's Union of North Amer
ica, said approximately 1000 of that
organizations members had struck,
and that the 500 line was the only
railroad entering Chicago, the union
had been able to keep open.
Secretary Snyder of the Railroad
Managers association announced
after conference of road heads
that between 40 and so per cent Of
normal freight traffic was being
handled. Sufficient crews to operate
about 300 locomotives had been re-
cruited in the Chicago area, he said.
New "Outlaw" Organization.
One of today's Developments was
the formation new outlaw" organ
ization, the National Enginemen's
association by striking members of
the Brotherhood of Engineers and
Brotherhood of Firemen and En-
ginemen.
Announcement was made BY the
striking engineer and the Chicago
yardmen's association that branches
of the two new unions would be
formed throughout the country and
that strikes would be called else
where in sympathy with the Chicago
movement and in an effort to- force
wage advances which the railroad
ben had demanded since last Au-
gust.
"Five dollars day is the mini
MUM which will support man and
his family" the strikers said in a
statement today. Demands they
made to the General Managers ass
sociation were:
Conductors, 81 an hour, present
scale &c 2-3 cents, switchmen. 90
cents an hour, present scale 62H
cents; switch tenders, S. day, pres
entwage. 50 cents an hour.