People's Pilot, Volume 4, Number 4, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 13 July 1894 — BIG STRIKE ORDERED. [ARTICLE]

BIG STRIKE ORDERED.

Toiler* In All Trade* In Chicago Are L Called Out to Aid the A. K. U. Chicago, July 11.—All efforts to secure a peaceful settlement of the present strike have failed, and as a result organized labor will this morning begin a great sympathetic strike. Tuesday afternoon the following notice was issued by the committee of seven appointed by the labor conference at Uhlich’s hall last Sunday night. “To the Organizations Represented at the Labor Conference Held at Uhlich’s Hall on Sunday Evening, July B,.and All Labor in General; All effert-s to bring about a settlement of existing labor difficulties having failed, it now becomes the duty of all labor to carry out the resolution adopted at the above mentioned conference. “Thomas J. Kidd, “Chairman of Conference.” The resolution adopted at that meeting was to the effect that if the Pullman company and the General Managers’ association refused to submit the present difficulty to arbitration all organized labor would strike in sympathy with the American Railway union. The Building Trades council of Chicago has issued an official order to its 25,000 members to go on strike in support of the American Railway union. The session of the council lasted until nearly 1 o'clock this morning, and the question of striking was canvassed thoroughly, the final decision being arrived at by a unanimous vote. The organizations affiliated with the Building Trades council are the tin and sheet-iron job workers, bridge and structural iron workers, gasfitters, mosaic-tile layers, mosaic-tile layers’ helpers, hod carriers, steamfitters, junior steam-fitters, gravel roofers, electrical workers, hoisting engineers, marble cutters, architectural iron workers, Italian mosaic workers, plasterers, plumbers, lathers, junior plumbers, painters, carpenters, Italian enamel workers and marble cutters’ helpers. It is expected that a majority of these unions will join in the strike this morning. Fifteen are said to have reported at the meeting last night that they were ready to go out. Leaders among the Chicago tradesunionists said that the sympathetic strike would involve more trades And men than ever before entered upon a contest in the city. The number of men who will refuse to go to work this morning and who will remain out in support of the American Railway union was variously estimated at between 25,000 and 35,000 and it was said that within the next forty-eight hours the number would be doubled if not trebled. It is not expected that all the organizations in the city will go out on the first call.

Early in the evening E. J. Lindholm, master workman of district assembly No. 24 of the Knights of Labor, sent an official call to »11 the members of his organization in Chicago to cease work this morning. This organization alone claims membership of from 30,000 to 40,000 in Chicago and Cook county, and Mr. Lindholm said he expected they would all quit as soon as the order was received by them. The employes of the Chicago City Railway company belong to the knights. Mr. Lindholm was asked if his order included these men, and replied that it was intended for every member of the organization. It was said Tuesday night that the printers employed by the A. N. Kellogg Newspaper company had decided to quit work and that several job offices would follow their lead. The firm mentioned supplies telegraphic service to a large number of country dailies. The employes of the firm indignantly deny the truth of the statement, and declare that they will remain true to their contract with their employers. General Master Workman Sovereign of the Knights of Labor has telegraphed an appeal to the members of his organization in America imploring them to cease work immediately and to refuse to return to their places until the present strike has been settled. It had been Mr. Sovereign’s intention to make the communication in the form of an order to the knights, but the laws of the organization require that before a strike shall be ordered the executive board must pass upon the questions. Mr. Sovereign’s appeal was telegraphed to every assembly in the United States. If it is heeded all branches of trade will be affected. He reviews the strike situation and criticises Pullman and the railway companies. He urges all Knights of Labor to lay down their implements of toil, and under the banner of peace, eschewing all violence, to work for a settlement. They are asked to remain out until officially notified that the trouble has been settled. The plan of the leaders is to call out first all organized labor in Chicago, and then to proceed from town to town until the entire country is paralyzed—or Pullman gives in. The immediate effect on Chicago if all the trades obey the order to strike will be to throw more than 300,000 persons out of employment. Labor organizations do not include so many members, but on the ninety-nine trades represented in the Uhlich’s hall convention many thousands of unorganized work people are dependent for continued employment. In foundries, for instance, when one division of the work closes or suspends operations, all other branches must soon follow into idleness. So interdependent is the social and industrial community that no one part can stiffer without all others being affected. The labor leaders figure out that a general strike would effect the following number of men: American Federation of Labor 500,000 Knights of Labor 750,000 American Railway Union 150.000 United Mineworkers 150 000 Carpenters 500,000 Total 2,060,000