My friends, it is solidarity of labor we want.
We do not want to find fault with each other,
but to solidify our forces and say to each other:
"We must be together; our masters are joined together
and we must do the same thing."
-Mother Jones
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Thursday June 15, 1905
Chicago, Illinois - Update on the Teamsters' Sympathetic Strike
Union Label of Rock Island Argus
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The
Chicago Teamsters Strike, which began as a sympathetic strike in support of the striking garment workers at Montgomery Wards, and has now spread across the city, appears to be in trouble.
Hellraisers continues our update on the situation in Chicago through the pages of the
Rock Island Argus, a unionized newspaper of Rock Island, Illinois.
The Argus reported in its June 13th edition:
The delivery of goods in Chicago was almost normal today, and but for the presence of policemen and deputy sheriffs on the wagons there was no evidence of the teamsters' strike. Neither the teamsters' organization nor the Employers' association is apparently doing anything except waiting.
From the Rock Island Argus of June 6, 1905:
ARE ONLY RUMORS
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Reports of Peace in Chicago Teamsters' Strike
Have No Foundation.
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ALL MUST AGREE TO TERMS
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Else Employes Will Not Consider Them-
President Shea in Jail Two Hours.
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Chicago June 6.-There are rumors of peace in the teamsters' strike, but it is not in sight; in fact, it is no nearer than it was May 20, when the teamsters' council refused the plan then as reported.
Try to Settle in Part.
A committee representing the rank and file called on some of the employers today with a view of settling the strike with individual employers. The condition of settlement was the non-delivery to railway express companies. The committee was given to understand the settlement must be with all the employers or none.
The international executive board was in session considering means of settlement, but President Shea said the strike will go on, the rank and file being opposed to a "dishonorable settlement."
Two Hours in Jail.
Chicago, June 6.-Cornelius P. Shea spent two hours in the county jail last night. With him as his cellmate was Hugh McGee, president of the Truck Drivers' union. The two were arrested at 7 o'clock and taken to the county jail at 8. For two hours they were occupants of cell 523 in that institution. Then they were released on bonds signed by Alderman Thomas Carey and John E. Fitzpatrick, proprietor of the saloon in which they were arrested.
Shea's arrest was due to his failure to give himself up when he knew that capiases had been issued for him on the charge of conspiracy.
Tide for Peace.
Chicago, June 6.-The peace tide in the teamsters' strike set in strongly again yesterday. Before night it had reached a point where the employers practically had agreed to meet the teamsters once more to make another try at a settlement. This conference, it was said, might take place today.
The employers, before consenting to another meeting, made on iron bound condition. They absolutely refused to go into conference with any union committee not fully empowered to act. They stipulated that peace emissaries from the teamsters' joint council must bring written credentials to this effect.
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From the Rock Island Argus of June 8, 1905:
REACH NO TERMS
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Another Conference to Settle Teamsters'
Strike Proves Futile.
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MEN YIELD NO POINTS
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Employers Flatly Refuse to Consider
Propositions They Advance.
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Chicago, June 8.-Peace in the teamsters' strike is as far off as ever. The railway express companies are still firm, and policemen and deputy sheriffs will not be withdrawn from trucks and wagons, if the Employers' association can prevent their withdrawal.
Shea in Control.
President Shea seems to be in full control of the teamsters again. He is expecting $22,000 to be contributed for strike benefits, and this, he says, will keep the strike alive for at least two or three more weeks. Plans are said to have been matured by the teamsters to continue the strike "all winter."
Conference Fails.
Chicago, Ill., June 8.-After a conference lasting five hours between the Employers' association and the teamsters' committee having full power to settle the strike, all negotiations were declared off at 9 o'clock last night, and there is no immediate probability of a settlement.
Propositions Rejected.
The union submitted a number of propositions which the employers flatly refused to consider at all. Among these were:
That if the strike is declared off all police and deputy sheriffs now protecting non-union men should be withdrawn.
That the business houses refuse to receive from or deliver to express companies any merchandise.
That all the strikers be given positions before any new non-union men are hired.
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From the Rock Island Argus of June 12, 1905:
LEADERS ACCUSED
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Strike Directors Promise to Become
Involved in Blackmail Charges.
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GRAND JURY TO HEAR STORY
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Said to Have Secured Large Sums During Strike
From Chicago Business Houses.
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Chicago, June 12.-Nothing was done today towards the settlement of the teamsters' strike. No negotiations are in progress, and there is no talk of any in future. Interest is centered in the investigation of the grand jury and some sensational testimony has been promised regarding the spending of large sums of money by labor leaders. The money is secured, it is alleged by blackmailing business houses.
Killed by Strike Guard.
Chicago, June 12.-Samuel Rohiston, a paper hanger, was shot and instantly killed Saturday night by Frank Austin, a new colored policeman, who was guarding a wagon, owned by Rothschild & Co.
Vote Down Lockout.
The threatened lockout of 8,000 teamsters by the employers in the Chicago Team Owners' association will not materialize. An overwhelming vote was registered yesterday against this policy.
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From the Rock Island Argus of June 13, 1905:
STRIKE DIES OUT
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Unless Fresh Developments Occur
Teamsters Will Lose Fight.
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NEITHER SIDE IS ACTING
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Deliveries Almost Normal and Presence of
Guards Only Evidence of Trouble.
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Chicago, June 13.-The teamsters' strike has come to a stage where it it will die a natural death unless new life is injected into it by the strikers.
During the past 24 hours nothing of any importance whatever has developed, neither side to the controversy having made any aggressive move. According to the employers involved in the trouble, they have succeeded in getting their business back to almost normal conditions, and that in a very short time the strike will be a forgotten incident with them.
Delivery Almost Normal.
Chicago, June 13.-The delivery of goods in Chicago was almost normal today, and but for the presence of policemen and deputy sheriffs on the wagons there was no evidence of the teamsters' strike. Neither the teamsters' organization nor the Employers' association is apparently doing anything except waiting.
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From the Rock Island Argus of June 14, 1905:
ATTENTION IS DIVERTED
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Strike Issues Pale Before
Charges of Graft.
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DRISCOLL TELLS ALL
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Payments to Labor Leaders to Secure Peace
He Declares Common.
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Chicago, June 14.-The teamsters strike, according to the secretary of one of the unions, seems to be taking care of itself. Both the teamsters' joint counsel and the Employers' association are doing nothing. Meanwhile deliveries were being made as if there were no strike.
Strike Lost Sight Of.
Chicago, June 14.-The teamsters' strike proper has almost been lost sight of, the situation of both sides of the controversy being occupied more with the charges of bribery in connection with labor unions in Chicago than with the real issue. Within the next 24 hours, it is said, a history of the secret transactions of the labor unions in Chicago, for the past four years will be made public, and that the information will implicate many labor leaders, who it is asserted have accepted bribes to call off strikes, The man who is expected to give this information is John C. Driscoll, former secretary of the coal team owners' association, who has been intermediary between the employers' and teamsters' unions in this city for the past four years.
Has Documentary Evidence.
Today Driscoll said that he would appear before the grand jury with documentary evidence showing that several labor leaders have been receiving large sums of money through Driscoll, which it is declared by the latter, employers were forced to pay to prevent the employees being called out on strike. To substantiate his statements Driscoll displayed last night a bank check book, the stubs on which he said corresponded to the amounts paid these labor leaders. The method used by Driscoll according to his own statement was this:
Bribes Aggregate $80,000.
An employers, or an organization of employers affected by a strike or who were likely to be, would ask him to use his influence to bring about an adjustment of the difficulty. The fees according to Driscoll, paid to union men, ranged from $100 to thousands, the aggregate being estimated by him at $80,000. Driscoll declares that he never received a dollar of this money for his efforts in averting trouble except from organizations of which he was secretary.
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SOURCE
Rock Island Argus
(Rock Island, Illinois)
-June 6, 1905
http://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/...
-June 8, 1905
http://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/...
-June 12, 1905
http://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/...
-June 13, 1905
http://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/...
-June 14, 1905
http://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/...
IMAGES
Rock Island Argus, Union Label, June 12, 1905
http://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/...
Cornelius P Shea, Harpers Weekly,
June 17, 1905
https://books.google.com/...
International Brotherhood of Teamsters, sign at HQ
http://teamster.org/...
International Brotherhood of Teamsters, Charter with AFL
http://teamster.org/...
Chicago Teamsters Strike, Detail,
Patrol Wagons Guard Trucks
http://www.newspapers.com/...
Chicago Teamsters Stike, 1905, guarding scabs
http://teamster.org/...
See also:
Encyclopedia of U.S. Labor and
Working-Class History, Volume 1
-Eric Arnesen
Taylor & Francis, 2007
https://books.google.com/...
"The Chicago Teamsters Strike, (1905)"
https://books.google.com/...
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Solidarity Forever
-Angela Kelly & Troy Coman of UAW Local 898/Rawsonville
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