Labor Union Items

Pacific Press Publishing Company · Oakland, California · Mar 18, 1903

FromSigns of the Times, Vol. 29, No. 11.

Labor Union Items

A London despatch says that the Taffvale Railroad Company has been awarded $115,000 damages against the Amalgamated Society of Railroad Servants. The complaint of the company was on account of malicious molestation, picketing, etc., during the strike of 1900. An extensive strike against the American Bridge Company has been declared by the International Association of Bridge and Structural Iron Workers. The reason given is that much of the work of the company has been sub-let to non-union men. Construction work in many places in the United States and Canada is stopped by the strike, and thousands of men are thrown out of employment. It is said that by May 1 more than 300,000 employees will be out on strike, and the employers are organizing to resist the movement. The strike of the United Brotherhood of Railway Employees against the Canadian Pacific Railroad is reported at an end, the men claiming to have won the recognition of their union. The railroad and steamship business at Vancouver, B. C., has been extensively hindered by the strike. At Waterbury, Conn., the strike of union employees of the electric street car company, has broken out afresh, accompanied by violence. On the night of the 8th inst., a policeman was killed, a non-union motor man was wounded and chased into a swamp, and another non-union man was beaten until insensible. The blacksmiths of Stockton, Cal., have won their strike against the big agricultural implement manufacturing establishments in that city, whose proprietors had to yield on account of pressing contracts. The strikers gained their point of recognition of the union and increase of pay of blacksmiths' helpers from $2.00 to $2.50 per day. The city council of Santa Cruz, Cal., passed an ordinance requiring the union label on all city printing. The supervisors of Santa Cruz County passed such an ordinance for the county printing, but afterwards rescinded it, and laid the matter over for further consideration, the district attorney having stated that it was unconstitutional. According to a decision of an English court, no labor union can contribute to the support of a striking union without unanimous consent of the members, which practically takes away the support of strikers from that source. The war between employers and union labor is waging fiercely over there. The employers have charged that they are losing control of markets, because the unions have enforced high wages and shorter hours, thus preventing the former from competing with the United States. Political warfare is the prospective result, as it is also gaining ground in this country. On the 2d inst. the Civic Federation of San Diego County, Cal., presented to the board of supervisors a memorial protesting against the resolution adopted by the board prescribing that the county printing and advertising be awarded by the heads of departments to only such newspapers and printing establishments as were entitled to use the Allied Printing Trades label. The memorial cites that the resolution is against a natural law, unconstitutional, and not consistent with the advice of the department attorney, and requested reconsideration of the action by the supervisors.