Tag: Amalgamated Association of Street and Electric Railway Employes of America

Hellraisers Journal: 110 Seattle Unions Call for General Strike to Begin Thursday at 10 A. M.; 60,000 Workers Will Join Walk-Out

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Seattle General Strike, Set for Thursday, SUR p1, Feb 3, 1919—–

Hellraisers Journal – Tuesday February 4, 1919
Seattle, Washington – General Strike of 60,000 Workers Set for Thursday

Seattle General Strike, All Unions To Go Out, SUR p1, Feb 3, 1919

Seattle General Strike, Announcement Delaney, SUR p1, Feb 3, 1919

At 10 o’clock next Thursday morning 60,000 organized workers in the city of Seattle will stand shoulder to shoulder in the first general strike that has ever been successfully inaugurated in the history of this country. Insolently and contemptuously Mr. Charles Piez and his labor-snubbing shipping board threw down the defiant gauntlet which has now been taken up with a firmness of resolution and a solidarity unmatched in the annals of the American Labor movement.

The workers of the northwest believe that they have been flouted and fooled by Piez and his fellow labor-baiters, that they have been deceived and betrayed by the politicians, both state and federal, and they have resolutely grasped the only weapon over which they have any direct control, determined to make a fight that will demonstrate whether or not they have the power to secure the justice that has been denied them by industrial barons and bureaucratic despots.

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Hellraisers Journal: Thomas H. West, Labor Poet, on Soldiers Gone Scabbing against the Kansas City Street Car Strikers

Janet RayeHellraisers Journal
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Any soldier who is guilty
Can be called a “Labor Hun.”
-Thomas H. West
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Hellraisers Journal – Monday January 13, 1919
Kansas City Labor Poet on Soldiers, in Uniform, Serving as Scabs

Thomas H. West, in his latest poem for working men and women, tells the sad story of soldiers gone scabbing against the street car strikers of Kansas City. The poem is entitled “Uniforms Disgraced” and was first published by the Labor Herald of Kansas City, Missouri.

From the Leavenworth Labor Chronicle of January 10, 1919:

KC Streetcar Strike, Poem by TH West, Lv KS Lbr Chc p4, Jan 10, 1919

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Hellraisers Journal: Kansas City Railway Company’s Ad: Scabs Wanted, “Those with no previous training also desired.”

Janet RayeHellraisers Journal
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Quote Mother Jones Raising Hell, NYT p1, Oct 6, 1916~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Hellraisers Journal – Sunday December 22, 1918
Kansas City Street Car Strike Continues, Scabs Wanted

Of the 2700 strikers, members of the Amalgamated Association of Street and Electric Railway Employes of America, Division 764, on strike in Kansas City since December 11th, 157 are conductorettes. The conductorettes have been on the picket line beside their brothers and not one of them has crossed the line and returned to work. Meanwhile the company advertises for scabs, “no previous training” needed.

From the Kansas Junction City Union of December 21, 1918:

KC Street Car Strike, Scab Ad, Jctn Cty KS Dly Un p5, Dec 21, 1918

It should be noted that ever since the cars have been operated by non-union men, accidents and deaths on the street car lines have dramatically increased. Yet, the Company prefers to hire inexperienced scabs rather than implement the cost-of-living award granted to their employees by the War Labor Board.

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Hellraisers Journal: Whereabouts & Doings of Mother Jones for September 1917, Part II: Found in Illinois & Washington D. C.

Janet RayeHellraisers Journal
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You ought to be out raising hell.
This is the fighting age.
Put on your fighting clothes.
-Mother Jones

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Hellraisers Journal, Friday October 19, 1917
Mother Jones News for September, Part II: Attends Root-Gompers Meeting

After her speech supporting the street car strikers in Springfield, Illinois, Mother Jones was blamed for a “riot” in that city. On September 15th, Mother attended a pro-war mass meeting in Chicago where the featured speakers were Elihu Root and Samuel Gompers.

From The Decatur Herald of September 5, 1917:

SPRINGFIELD IS CAUTIOUS AFTER RIOT
—–
People Warned, Troops Ready,
“Mother” Jones, Boose and Burnette Blamed.
—–

Mother Jones, IL State Rgstr p2, Springfield, Sept 1, 1917

SPRINGFIELD, Sept. 5-As a result of rioting here Monday night [September 3rd], which resulted in the wrecking of 6 street cars, the riddling with bricks of the front of the car companies office building and the arresting of 20 rioters, Mayor C. T. Baumann last night following a conference of city, county and military officials with assistance of Ajt. Gen. Richings J. Shand at the state house, issued a proclamation ordering all citizens of Springfield to keep off the streets as much as possible and forbidding all gatherings in the streets or public places under penalty of arrest and imprisonment. Mayor Baumann’s action was a direct result of Monday night’s trouble and reports that there would be further organized out breaks, with possible attacks in force on street car company property.

Soldiers On Guard.

Although there have been only isolated instances of trouble, last night, such as the stoning of cars in remote sections of the city, soldiers with fixed bayonets patrolled the main business streets with sentries on every corner keeping the people moving and breaking up gatherings. Additional forces were held at the court house and state arsenal, with automobiles in readiness to rush them to any danger point.

Men arrested by the soldiers Monday night are being held at the county jail, which is guarded by soldiers. It is said that they will be turned over to the civil authorities Wednesday.

Mackie Assigns Cause.

“Mother Jones, Burnette and Bloomington booze” were the three causes of the Springfield riots of Monday night as assigned by general Manager Mackie of the Springfield Utilities company Tuesday.

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Hellraisers Journal: Whereabouts & Doings of Mother Jones for September 1917, Part I: Found in Illinois and Kentucky

Janet RayeHellraisers Journal
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Mother Jones Quote, 2x4 kaiser union recognition hell freeze over.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Hellraisers Journal, Thursday October 18, 1917
Mother Jones News for September, Part I: Speech in Springfield

From the Illinois State Register of September 1, 1917:

On the evening of August 31st, Mother Jones spoke in Springfield, Illinois, to striking carmen and their supporters. The speech was well-covered the next day by the Register.

MOTHER JONES ASKS AID
FOR CAR STRIKERS
—–
Tells Unionists to Unite in Fight
Against Street Car Company and Win
—–

4,000 HEAR SPEAKER
—–
Crowds Throng Court House Yard
and Cheer as Advocate of Labor Talks
—–

Mother Jones, IL State Rgstr p2, Springfield, Sept 1, 1917

Four thousand striking car men, members of allied labor organizations and curious outsiders last night on the court house square heard “Mother” Jones, self-confessed labor agitator and proud of it, urged the strikers and their sympathizers to disregard judges, courts, injunctions or any other power that might be invoked and to fight the street railway company until it is forced to meet the demands of the union.

Less extreme than she is reported to have been in other cities where labor troubles were in progress, “Mother” Jones did not directly urge the strikers to resort to violence in gaining their ends, but she demanded that every allied labor organization in Springfield take up the cause, have their meters removed and go out on “sympathy” strikes to tie up the city’s industries until pressure is brought to bear to force the utility company to admit itself beaten.

The meeting, advertised to be held in Carpenters’ hall, was transferred to the court house grounds, when it became evident long before the time set for “Mother” Jones to speak, that not one-third of those who wished to hear her would be able to get into the hall. Before half-past seven the hall was packed, and hundreds were thronging the street before the building seeking admittance. Continue reading “Hellraisers Journal: Whereabouts & Doings of Mother Jones for September 1917, Part I: Found in Illinois and Kentucky” →

Hellraisers Journal: Whereabouts & Doings of Mother Jones for August 1917, Part II: Found in Illinois & Indiana

Janet RayeHellraisers Journal
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You ought to be out raising hell.
This is the fighting age.
Put on your fighting clothes.
-Mother Jones
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Hellraisers Journal, Friday September 21, 1917
Mother Jones News for August, Part II: Plans for Labor Day

From the Evansville Press of August 29, 1917:

An advertisement indicates that Mother Jones will be the principle speaker at the Henderson, Kentucky, Labor Day Celebration on Monday September 3rd. The event is being sponsored by the Central Labor Unions of both Evansville, Indiana, and Henderson.

MJ Labor Day Evansville IN, Henderson KY, Evl Prs, Aug 29, 1917

From the Fort Wayne Journal-Gazette of August 27, 1917:

The death of Senator John Worth Kern is an opportunity to recall the role played by the good Senator in freeing Mother Jones from the grip of West Virginia’s Military Bastille during the Cabin Creek-Paint Creek Strike of 1912 & 1913.

JOHN WORTH KERN; AN APPRECIATION

Claude G. Bowers

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Hellraisers Journal: From the International Socialist Review: “Street Car Workers Win”-Bloomington, Illinois

Janet RayeHellraisers Journal
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You ought to be out raising hell.
This is the fighting age.
Put on your fighting clothes.
-Mother Jones
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Hellraisers Journal, Sunday August 19, 1917
Bloomington, Illinois – Victory for Street Car Strikers

From the International Socialist Review of August 1917:

ISR Bloomington IL Street Car Strike, Aug 1917

STREET CAR WORKERS WIN

IN SPITE of the fact that more than one thousand Illinois soldiers were rushed to Bloomington, Ill., in record time, the street car workers won their strike.

The solidarity of labor was 100 per cent strong. More than two thousand employees of the Alton shops downed tools at three o’clock on the afternoon of July 6th and marched to the office of the street car company, where they demanded that the car strike be brought to a satisfactory settlement at once. Every union in Bloomington lined up behind the strikers.

The big power house was closed. Newspapers were unable to misrepresent the strike as there was no power to run the presses, and many of the big industrial plants had to close down for the same reason.

This is a striking example of how solidarity means success. If the workers will stand together as they did in Bloomington they can always win.

From The Chicago Daily Tribune of July 7, 1917:

Bloomington IL Street Car Strike Settled, Chg Tb, July 7 1917

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Hellraisers Journal: Whereabouts & Doings of Mother Jones for July 1917, Part II: Found in West Virginia & Washington, DC

Janet RayeHellraisers Journal
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You ought to be out raising hell.
This is the fighting age.
Put on your fighting clothes.
-Mother Jones
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Hellraisers Journal, Saturday August 18, 1917
Mother Jones News for July, Part II: Organizing West Virginia

From the United Mine Workers Journal of July 12, 1917:

The following was published as an advertisement in the The Beckley (West Virginia) Messenger of July 10, 1917, but without the final paragraph.

“Mother” Jones’ Refreshing Experience

Mother Mary Harris Jones, Decatur Herald IL, May 14, 1916

“Mother” Jones had a most refreshing experience at a great meeting of the miners at Quinnimont, West Virginia, on the 14th day of June. The Layland mines, where the meeting was held, is owned by the Berwin-White Coal Company, and a large number of men are employed at this place. It is in the very heart of the mountainous New River coal fields. In the years gone by this section has been a veritable Gibraltar of the foes of unionism, and armed guards have patrolled the works of the companies looking for those who were trying to carry the message of unionism to the miners of this section. Happily, this condition has passed away in many parts of this field, and the private gunman is being driven farther and farther back into the remote mountain fastnesses.

The refreshing part of the Layland meeting was the manner and spirit in which Mr. O. A. Kneer, the superintendent of the Berwin-White Coal Company received the visit of “Mother” Jones. Instead of following the tactics of some of the less enlightened companies and forbidding “Mother” holding a meeting at the mines, he told the miners to go to the meeting, and was present himself. After the meeting was over he said it was one of the best addresses he had ever heard. Having an open mind and the spirit of fair play, he was ready to meet the miners half way and deal with them as men with rights.

If all the coal companies were enlightened enough to show the same spirit, the coal fields of the country would not so often be the scene of bitter industrial struggles. Mr. O. A. Kneer, by his fairness and good will, has done much to bring peace between the miners and operators in that section. His attitude is commended to the companies who think to crush the miners by private armies of gunmen. There is nothing that appeals to the average miner so much as fair play.

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Hellraisers Journal: Whereabouts and Doings of Mother Jones for July 1917, Part I: Found in Illinois

Janet RayeHellraisers Journal
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You ought to be out raising hell.
This is the fighting age.
Put on your fighting clothes.
-Mother Jones
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Hellraisers Journal, Friday August 17, 1917
Mother Jones News for July, Part I: Blamed for Riot

During the evening of Thursday, July 5th, Mother Jones spoke on behalf of striking street carmen in Bloomington, Illinois. She was blamed for the riot which broke out following her speech.

From The Daily (Bloomington) Pantagraph of July 6, 1917:

MJ, Bloomington IL Riot, Pgr, July 6, 1917
MJ, Bloomington IL Riot 2, Pgr, July 6, 1917

Bloomington this morning is practically under martial law following one of the wildest nights of rioting in its history. Troop G, First Illinois cavalry from Peoria reached the city at 7:30 a. m. over the Big Four under the command of Captain Thomas J. Simpson. There were 58 men and three officers. They proceeded immediately to the B. & N. power house at the intersection of Roosevelt avenue and the Big Four tracks, where they pitched camp.

Several more companies of troops are on their way to Bloomington from Chicago and will reach here about noon……

The “Mother Jones” Meeting.

“Mother” Jones, it is said, closed her address by telling the men “to do something.” With this incentive hundreds of men and women gathered in front of the Eagles hall apparently waiting for a leader….

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Hellraisers Journal: “Get Red Blood and Fight!” -Mother Jones Speaks at Rally for Striking Street Carmen

Janet RayeHellraisers Journal
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I would rather go before God Almighty
with a paid-up union card than
with first class credentials
from any church in the United States.
-Mother Jones

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Hellraisers Journal, Wednesday March 28, 1917
Washington, District of Columbia – Mother Jones Speaks

Mother Jones, Garment Strike, Chg Dly Tb, Feb 26, 1917, crpd

On the Monday Evening, March 26th, Mother Jones spoke at a rally for the striking street carmen and their wives, urging them to “stick together” and to “get some red blood and fight!”

The speech was covered by most of Washington D. C. press.

From The Washington Herald of March 27, 1917:

MOTHER JONES URGES STRIKERS TO STICK
—–
Predicted Disorder Fails to
Materialize at Meeting.

Mother Jones, with silver hair and bent form, but with voice and gesture as vigorous as any orator in the prime of life, swayed an audience of 1,500 that packed National Rifles Armory to the door last night to hear her version of the street carmen’s strike.

While trouble was expected to follow her address, the meeting was conducted without disorder, and a big detail of police under the direction of Lieut. Hartley saw the meeting disperse without trouble on the streets.

The speech of Mother Jones was tinged with anarchism, but in its entirety, the theme of her address was to have the men “stick together” and the wives of the strikers were urged to back them to the limit.

Present Strike Picnic

She rehearsed the industrial battles of the miners, which have brought about her title “Angel of the Miners” and declared that the present strike was a picnic compared to the majority which she had witnessed.

Some of the telling passages in her speech were:

This is the age of arbitration and not the age of Kings.

I would rather go before God Almighty with a paid-up union card than with first class credentials from any church in the United States.

Rome perished when the women became indifferent. So did Greece. So will every other nation. In this industrial war we must have the support of women.

Any old traitor or hypocrite can holler hurrah for the flag. The man who is a true patriot is the one who will work for free manhood for those beneath it.

The walls of the nation will never perish upon an altar of gold.

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