Montana labor news., 1938-12-29
President of Labor Federation
Outlines History of Labor
Efforts to Obtain Favorable
Court Decisions.
By M D. GRAHAM

At this time of the year when the
legislature is about to convene,
many people suggest that a bill be
introduced limiting the power of the
court to issue injunctions during
labor disputes. To these suggestions
the answer is given, "There is no
need for such legislation"
Few people know that thirty years
ago the Supreme Court of Montana
put an end to the issuing of injunc-
lions against strikers in this state.
Not many know that thirty to forty
years ago organized labor in Mon
tana suffered from injunctions but
did not take it lying down, and
fought the injunction judges to a
finish; however, many union men
paid the price for their independ-
ence and courage. 1t will not be
out of place at this time to give an
outline of what took place during
the injunction war"
Fifty years ago the enginemen
employed on the C. B. and @. Rail
way went on strike, scabs manned
the engines, and the railroad men
placed a boycott on all cars of that
railway, refusing to haul a train
on any railroad that contained a
car belonging to that company.
Judge William Taft, who vas elect
ed President in 1908, placed an in
junction on the trainmen employed
on the Ann Arbor road enjoining
them from refusing to haul Burling-
ton cars and the strike on the c. B.
and @. was lost.
After Judge Taft's luck in strike
breaking, breaking strikes by in
functions was a favorite pastime of
corporation judges, many strikes be-
ing lost IN account of court action.
In 1893 the Northern Pacific
Railway was wrecked by the high
f%inanceering of a Holland capitalist;
the road went into ~receivership. The
receivers decided the easiest way
to rehabilitate the Northern Pacific
Railway was to cut the wages of
all employees who received one
hundred dollars or less a month ten
per cent and those who received
over one hundred dollars a month,
fifteen per cent. The railroad unions
took strike votes to resist the cut
in wages; the strike vote carried
overwhelmingly. The receivers APP
pealed to courts and Judge Jenkins
of Milwaukee, a federal judge,
issued what was said to be the most
sweeping and drastic injunction ever
issued up to that time, forbidding
the men on the N. P. Ry. from
striking. The men were dazed when
they were told that since the road
was in r~eceivership if they went on
strike they would be striking against
Uncle Sam; therefore, the strike
did not materialize.
The panic of 1S93-94 was on,
banks failed, railroads went into
receivership, wages were cut and
injunctions were issued with every
cut in wages to prevent the men
from striking. The American Rail-
way Union appeared with Eugene
v. Debs at its head. This was an
industrial union which took into
its membership all classes of rail
road workers from section men to
conductors, from call-boys to engi-
neers. The A. R. U. as it was called,
grew with leaps and bounds. In
May, 1894, the men on the Northern
Pacific voted to strike; the railway
receivers were to be given twenty
four hours notice to restore the wage
cut or the road would be tied up.
Debs sent kilograms to the men all
over the N. P. Railway which read:
"For Gods sake, boys, don't strike"
Debs' appeal was listened to and
there was no strike.
The employees of the Pullman Car
Company shops in Chicago working
for low wages under bad conditions
received a cut in wages in the spring
of 1894. These workers joined the
Railway Union and went on strike.
The A.. r. U. in June, 1894, held a
national convention in Chicago
which was attended by several hun
dred delegates from all parts of the
nation. The delegates considered
the Pullman strike and decided to
make a national issue of the condi-
tons existing in the Pullman shops.
A nationwide boycott was declared
on all Pullman cars to go into effect
at even o'clock p. m. Central Time
June 26 unless the strike was
settled. All train crews to
refuse to pull trains with Pullman
cars on them, and to refuse to
handle Pullman cars in any way;
carmen were to refuse to ice, water,
or repair Pullman cars. Pullman
refused to settle with the strikers
and promptly at the hour designated
the boycott went into effect. At
Livingston, the first train with Pull
mans arrived at seven o'clock p. m.