Hall County, Nebraska - Chapter 21: Organized Labor in Hall County, 1920

Chapter 21: Organized Labor in Hall County

Knights of Labor in the Eighties - Railroad Organizations - Central Labor Union IN Hall County - Official Union Roster - American Federation of Labor - Growth in Membership

It has not heretofore been so very customary in a work of this kind to form a separate chapter for organized labor. But when it is considered that something like 15% of 20% of the population of Grand Island, whose population is practically one-half of that of Hall County, belong to the Central Labor Union, it is readily apparent that labor is very much entitled to a full separate historical treatment of its organized activities as many other lines of community endeavor which are always selected for a rather comprehensive historical treatment.

Professor Commons, one of the authors of a work recently published entitled "A history of labor," states in its introduction that "the history of labor is a story of how, in the course of three centuries, the wage-earner, as a distinct class, has been gradually, even violently, separating himself from the farmer, the merchant, and the employer, and coming to feel that his standing and progress in society depend directly on wages and not directly on prices, rents, profits, or interest."

Probably the first well organized movement to efifect Hall County along this line was the local organization of the Knights of Labor, in the 'eighties. This secret order had been formed in 1869 by Uriah Smith Stephens, a native American, educated for the Baptist ministry, but who had learned the tailoring- trade for a livelihood. The secret ritual of the order as written by Stephens proclaimed that "open and public association having failed after a struggle of centuries to protect or advance the interest of labor, we have lawfully constituted this assembly," and "in using this power of organized effort and cooperation we but imitate the example of capital heretofore set in numberless instances."

The great activity of the Knights of Labor as a national organization began about 1880, and it grew until in 1886 it numbered 5,892 assemblies of a total membership of 702,924. In the Hall County assembly among the leaders were masters Alton Avery, Wm. F. Laugh, lin, F. Hall and secretaries M. C. Beecher, T. A. Oakes, and J. Lorentzen.

But in a few years the Knights of Labor declined and the American Federation of Labor increased and gradually supplanted the former movement. The Industrial Workers of the World has thrived among certain more transient and irresponsible elements of labor, and at times threatened to assume the proportions of a rival to the American Federation of Labor, but the latter has persistently proclaimed a separate path and avowed no connection with the now somewhat discredited "I. W. W." movement. The aroused sympathetic interest of the public in the labor question has in recent years produced some results along lines for which organized labor is contending and striving: workmen's compensation laws, factory inspection laws, hours fixing maximum daily or weekly hours of

Avork, provisions for one day's rest in seven, prohibition of night work, child labor laws, minimum wage laws for women, and establishment of a separate department in the national cabinet for labor, and in our own state a separate department in the new administrative system of state government for labor are manifestations of results accomplished in an orderly way by this movement.

Though the path of labor is frequently disturbed by strikes, with which many of the public violently disagree in principle and resist the disturbance and inconvenience, to that third party which is often ignored in a violent controversy between workers and employers, the public, yet this phase of our community life is rapidly growing in strength.

A manifestation of its importance locally may be gathered by the recent action of organized labor in Hall County in putting forth a candidate for the delegateship to the constitutional convention from this county - a member of the coppersmiths of boilermaker's union, George Grady.

There have been a few organizations composed of men of a certain trade or calling for a good many years throughout the country and a good many of these have been recognized in Hall County and locals have flourished here.

Railroad Organizations

The John D. Moore lodge No. 134, Brotherhood of Railroad Trainmen, was organized in September, 1885. Details as to who have been the presiding officers of this lodge cannot be given, as the present secretary refused this information to the compiler. But it may be said this local organization has had a long and useful career. The national head of this order, W". G. Lee, is one of the big men of organized labor of this day, and a man who recently in the discussion and agitation over the high cost of living and profiteering thioughout the country delivered one of the

Early in the 'nineties several railroad organizations were formed here. The Switchman's Mutual Association, Grand Island Lodge No. 151 was one of these. W. R. Brown was master in 1890-1891 and F. B. Manley after him. Thos. Hanly, M. J. Cleary and R. C. Dunham were secretaries about that time. Another local organization was the Railway Employees Club, Monroe Taylor, of the freight office, president, and H. Warner, railroad clerk, secretary.

The Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Brotherhood of Locomotive Firemen do not have local lodges at Grand Island, but the enginemen running in and out of here mostly belong to the locals at Omaha or North Platte.

The Order of Railway Conductors, Grand Island Division No. 514, was organized March 22, 1908, with the following charter members : J. W. Amick, T. F. Costello, Wm. Burke, H. W. Jones, J. B. Kirsh, T. T. Pace, Gid J. Hall, I. V. Woods, Geo. J. Hull, W. H. Brooks, G. B. Brady, Grant Hadlock, H. G. Quiggle, F. W. Mappes, Jr., Leo A. Westover, J. H. Scholder, Roy E. Woodworth, Geo. H. Kanouff, Chas. F. Hull and Edward D. Wright. Geo. C. Wilson is secretary of this lodge.

The roster of present labor unions and lodges in the city will disclose other organizations now existing, which are composed of railroad employees.

In The Past

A union or lodge of Blacksmiths, Horseshoers and Wheelwrights Association of America thrived in Grand Island for a good many years. D. Spethman served as secretary.

The Cigarmakers' International Union of America was well organized here ten to fifteen years ago, with C. H. Steinmeier, secretary. The officers in 1919 are Chris. Neilsen

Central Labor Union

A recent step toward giving organized labor considerably more strength in Grand Island has been the growth of the Grand Island Central Labor Union. This organization has now some twenty-six or twenty-eight active unions federated together, with a membership in excess of two thousand.

Under the secretaryship of Harry H. Long this Central Labor Union made material progress and enlarged its quarters from a small labor temple on South Locust to large spacious quarters in the Glover building. Mr. Long has now left this position and taken up work for The American Federation of Labor. Geo. Grady and Gus Hein are the secretaries in charge of the work of the Central Labor Union at this time.

United Brotherhood of Maintenance of Way Employees and Railway Shop Laborers ; organized in 1918, with a membership of 238 at this time; W. A. Davidson, E. I. Madison and R. F. Walker are the officers.

International Association of Machinists, Grand Island Lodge, No. 565, organized July 9, 1918, Jos. O. Donnell and C. B. Neimann are officers.

Brotherhood of Railway Carmen, organized August 3, 1911, has 147 members now, and officers are Chris Birk, Otto Gruse, A. M. Bensen, Chris Michelson, and R. Shadd.

Bricklayers and Masons International Union of America, No. 8 was chartered July 11, 1911. Its first officers were Geo. Weber, W. S. Dewey, H. P. Lassen, Pete Larson was later president and Roy Calkins and W. S. Dewey

Brotherhood of Carpenters and- Joiners of America, Local 1386, organized Jan 12, 1903 with 47 members, and G. H. Meves, S. H. McAdams and Walter Whitacker are officers.

An official roster of some twenty of the present active organizations of the Central Labor Union, including some of those named above, follows : Barbers, No. 662, A. J. Maduna, Sec'y, Boilermakers, No. 475, Chas. Day, Sec'y, Bricklayers, No. 8 Chris Eriksen, Sec'y, Sheet Metal Workers, No. 556. L. Detlefsen, Sec'y, Plasterers, No. 611, C. O. Davis, Sec'y, Carpenters, No. 1386, S. H. McAdams, Sec'y, Machinists, No. 1061, C. B. Niemann, Sec'y, Painters, No. 434, F. C. Stevens, Sec'y, B. R. C. of A., No. 979, Otto Cruse, Sec'y, I. B. M. of W. E., No. 492, R. E. Walker, Sec'y, Wood River, Nebraska; State Firemen, No. 371, Howard Brown, Sec'y, Bro. of R. R. C, No. 4, W. L. Burnett, Sec'y, U. B.- M. of W. E. R. S. L., No. 492, W. L. Campbell, G. I., Movie Operators, No. 495, W. P. Bemis, Sec'y, Cigarmakers, No. 196, Chris Neilsen, Sec'y, Plumbers, Mr Bensen, Sec'y, Mail Clerks, J. L. Humphrey, Sec'y, Mail Carriers, George Meyers, Sec'y, Blacksmiths, Dick Spethman, Sec'y, Retail Clerks, No. 328, Ella Heidkamp, Sec'y.

American Federation Of Labor

The Grand Island Central Labor Union which has just been discussed is an integral part of the national body, the American Federation of Labor. Probably in no manner can the fact be so forcibly be brought out that organized labor has grown by leaps and bounds in the past thirty years beyond the conception of the average individual, than to take the space to detail a few points of the growth of the American Federation of Labor.

From a membership of approximately 50,- 000 in 1881 to 2, 371, 434 in 1917, the figures for 1918 and 1919 would be materially in excess of that were they immediately available to the compilers of these pages.