Labor Troubles in Omaha
Pictures from Photos
by a Staff Artist
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KXCAVATION FOIl AUDITION TO TKLETHONE RXCHANGE.
WHEN WORK STOPPED ON THE AVD1TORIUM.
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SALOON BUILDING AT FOURTEENTH AND HOWARD. . PRESENT CONDITION OF NEW MARKET HOVSE.
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UNFINISHED FOUNDATION IN WHOLESALE DISTRICT.
RESIDENCE NEAR THIRTY-SIXTH AND FARNAM.
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MAHA is at present In almost a
state of slene. Several Important
lines of Industrial enterprise have
been completely suspended, and
others have been nearly so,
through tho operation of differences that
liavo urlscu between employers and em
ployed. In no ouso 1m the matter of wages
or hours of labor more thun a secondary
failor. Employers have formed themselves
Into an association for tho avowed purpose
cf defeating tho organization of th J men by
refusing to recognize tho labor unions. On
this siukIo point hanss all the contention
which has resulted In tying up and para
yj.lng, for the present at least, Omaha's
Industry. How long this stale of afiaira
will continue Is beyond conjecture, us loth
tides appear to be determined and equally
well entrenched lu their respective jofi
tlons. I'p to date no trouble, has ensued. The
men out of work have conducted themselves
with commendable discretion and tho few
tl monntratlons that have been made on the
fctreet have been simply a noisy outburst
t'f union sympathisers, with no offer or
threat of physical violence to anyone. The
exchange of epithets between the men who
have undertaken to supply the places of the
locked out teamsters and the sympathizers
who have lined the sidewalks and jeered at
the nonunion driver has ao far been the
worst that dm happened. Many of the res
taurants have simply closed their doors
and are waiting fur some turn in affairs
which will bring about a settlement of the
difference. v?rol of the restaurants have
signed the union scale and entered into a
contract with the waiters so that the imme
diate wants of those who live at reLau
ranta have been supplied with but little in
convenience. In the wholesale district the
effects of the strike have been felt most se
verely owing to the almost impossibility ot
getting goods to and from the warehouses.
Many of the Omaha Jobbing houses have
railroad ' tracks running directly to their
doors, and these of course are not affected
oa their iu and out shipments. They are,
however, prevented from delivering goods
to local customers. Most of the retail deal
ers had laid In extra stocks of goods In an
ticipation of tho embargo, and therefore
there has been as yet no suffering or in
convenience felt on this account. Two of
tho big department stores have been ef
fectually tied up so tar as the delivery of
goods is concerned and have been affected
to this extent only. -
Tho operations in the building line have
been practically at a standstill since ths
16th or March, owing to the strike ot the
bod carriers, which had necessitated the
cessation of work by the masons.- The
carpenters have since then Joined the hod
carriers on the strike and this has put a
stop to work on all Uie lmportint build
ings ot Omaha. Public attention has prac
tically abandoned the Union Pacific shop
men who have been on a strike for a little
more than eleven months, but who still
present an unbroken front to the company.
In fact, this Union Pacific strike Is re
markable in a great many ways, but in no
way more so than in the firmness with
which the men have maintained their posi
tion. 'So far as Is known by the leaders
of the unions involved In the Union Pacific
shop strike, not one of their members,
either Journeyman or apprentice, has re
turned to the company's employ.
' Tho only gratifying feature of the affair
so far has been the excellent order main
tained, and the men who are on the strike
promise that this order will be maintained
until the affair has been finally settled.
The customary interference of the federal
court by means ot an injunction directed
against the members of one of the unions
involved was anticipated by the men and
its effects d1 amounted.
The team drivers' union holds the key to
the present situation. By reason of their
numbers and the absolute necessity for
their employment in the traffic of the city
the team drivers', union comes into direct
contact with every, phase of organized
labor with the exception of the breweries,
where the team drivers are members of the
brewery workers' union. For this reason the
men are more likely to be Involved in the
trouble of other unions than any other
labor organization in the city. Their
strength has been proven already in Omaha,
and they have rendered valuable assistance
to other organizations, although their
organization is not twelve months old. For
these reasons it is recognized by all that
the success of the contention ot the team
drivers' union means the settlement of all
other strikes on the basis of the proposals
ot the men, while if the men are forced to
return to work without securing recog
nition for their union, every other union
will stand less chance for success.
Secondary in point of importance, but
longer in duration, is the strike of the hod
carriers and building laborers. This strike
was begun March 16, and at that time the
construction of buildings was practically
suspended. The hod carriers' strike was not
for wages nor for the 6lgning of the wage
scale, for these points and been agreed
upon between the unions and the employers,
but was occasstoncd over the question ot
the time when the agreement was to be
effective. The men desired the new scale
to become effective March 16, the con
tractors desired It to become effective
May 1. The strike was the result ot this
post-agreement contention and 320 men
laid aside their work, leaving the thirty
two contractors involved to suspend oper
ation, for the bricklayers were forced out
of work, and the teamsters, then not on