America 1881: They Call Me Legend

Chapter 406: Food in mouth, no panic in heart

"What? General strike? Chinese workers? Why do they?"

After listening to the supervisor's report, Manager Riley was a little unbelievable.

After working in the coal mine for so many years, this was the first time he heard about a strike by the Chinese trade unions.

"This is ridiculous. How can the Chinese workers go on strike?" Riley muttered.

However, at this time, another burst of noise came from the other side of the river.

Riley and the overseer rushed out of the house again and climbed up the hillside.

"What are they doing?" Riley looked at the workers gathered in front of the Knights of Labor Hall.

He felt like he was going crazy!

The supervisor looked in that direction carefully, and he found that more and more workers who had resumed work were coming out of Mine No. 6.

It's evening.

"No problem, I will report this to the headquarters, but I still hope everyone can return to their jobs! After all, the company is a whole."

"We'll wait for the union to come to us." Riley said with considerable experience. "They will probably make demands on us soon. We can just hold off for now while waiting for a reply from the headquarters."

The two of them followed Holly out of Mine No. 3 with suspicion.

Chen Jianqiu jumped down.

Sure enough, the next day, Hawley and Hanks showed up at Riley's office.

"Wheat flour!"

"Hey, boss, I guess we've witnessed history." The supervisor said something he couldn't usually say, "It seems that the Chinese workers have united with the white miners."

"From San Francisco to Kansas City, every Pacific Coal Mine on this railway line will go on strike! If you cannot meet our demands, then I personally guarantee that not a single worker will return to work!"

He sat on the barrel where Sean had crawled before and looked in the direction of Carbon County.

Riley said nothing, the expression on his face was painful.

The union members turned and walked out of the cabin.

He didn't even think about it, but he didn't expect that these Chinese workers actually got food and planned to fight the Pacific Coal Mining Company for a long time.

First give yourself a slap in the face to show that the telegram from an hour ago was pure nonsense.

More than an hour ago, he just sent a telegram to the headquarters, telling the headquarters that there was no big problem here.

Neither side has any intention of making concessions, so it is naturally impossible to reach an agreement.

It is unrealistic to expect that all workers will be monolithic. If the time is longer, some people will not be able to endure it.

The car was filled with bulging bags.

Chen Jianqiu looked at the hillside where Manager Riley was.

He stood up straight away:

"Sir, I can tell you clearly that this strike is about unity."

Manager Riley and the supervisor actually stretched their heads and looked at them.

Holly stared into Riley's eyes.

Although the income of white miners is much higher, they often have families. If their income is cut off, the family will soon be in trouble.

On the hillside, Riley was a little frustrated.

The wages of Chinese workers have been severely deducted. If the strike continues, it will mean having to rest on their laurels;

Holly had no intention of saving face for the manager.

Chen Jianqiu untied the rope of one of the bags and put his hand in it.

"Secondly, we demand that the hours of forced labor be reduced. The current way of working has caused great harm to our bodies!"

Looking at their backs, Riley sneered.

Liao Dabai and Hanks were also a little worried about this issue.

"Boss, what should we do now?" The supervisor looked at Riley helplessly.

"By the way, Sean, send some to the other side of the river by boat. There aren't many things, but it won't be a big problem if it lasts for more than a week." Chen Jianqiu called Sean and gave instructions.

Riley said calmly.

Sure enough, several flatbed carriages with cloths behind them appeared on the only road.

"Boss Chen is back!"

They told Holly their concerns.

Suddenly, a young miner shouted loudly.

He doesn't want to witness history, he just wants to receive a salary and be an honest manager.

And Chen Jianqiu, holding a piece of grass in his mouth, sat on the shaft of the first carriage.

These requirements were agreed upon at a meeting.

Manager Riley had to send a new telegram to headquarters.

Chen Jianqiu stuffed the flour in his hand back into the bag and tied the mouth again.

Now it depends on whether the headquarters is willing to bear the losses of the shutdown.

Hawley only said one sentence: "Mr. Chen said he would solve these problems."

After coming to the United States, these people almost never have time for themselves, let alone what leisure is.

We'll see.

Chinese workers in Shiquan Town sit in their dormitories or in front of their houses.

Chen Jianqiu opened his palms.

Chen Jianqiu did not show up. He seemed to be busy with other things. Li Sifu took the boat to the other side in his place and attended the meeting.

Everyone looked in the direction he pointed.

Hawley clearly recounted the union's demands to Riley, point by point.

He kept scolding his mother in his heart:

The Chinese workers may have suffered some losses, but this does not prevent them from continuing to mine coal for the company;

Riley smiled and nodded throughout the whole process, looking kind and approachable.

He took out a telegram and slapped it on the table.

He greeted Li Sifu.

Also coming with them was Liao Dabai.

The Chinese worker next to him exclaimed.

"You can only earn money by wielding the mining hoe. We still have to take the overall situation into consideration."

The question is, where did they get the money to purchase the materials?!

He pointed at the supervisor: "If the headquarters is willing to delay, then we will delay. I really don't believe how these people can support their families without jobs."

The conflict was successfully brought to bear on the Chinese workers.

You can't ask everyone to be willing to hold on.

However, the situation has changed now, and the most unexpected situation has appeared for him.

"Open it!"

As for those white miners, let's continue to curse those Chinese workers! Do it as you like or not.

Then tell the gentlemen sitting in the office:

They will have to face a joint general strike!

The carriage quickly stopped in the open space of the residential area.

At this time, some of them were chatting; some were cooking dinner; and some were digging out stones from the ground and playing games like children.

In Manager Riley's opinion, this is the best result.

Li Sifu and several Chinese militiamen quickly walked to the carriage and lifted the canvas covering the carriage.

When he took his hand out of the bag, it had turned white.

"Our demands are written here!" Holly handed a piece of paper to Riley.

"First of all, we demand that the original labor price be restored, and that the unit price of each bushel (measurement unit, 35.238 liters) of coal dug be restored from four cents to five cents."

"If Pacific Coal Mining Company is willing to spend money, then we will spend it with them. I want to see whether their losses are greater or ours."

"Everyone, please rest for two days. Here are some flours." He pointed to the two carriages behind. "There are potatoes there. Various vegetables and meat will be delivered later."

This group of Chinese workers are really bad guys and they run away. They either don't go on strike, or if they go on strike, they risk their lives with their own savings.

As for that?

Now that the Chinese workers in front of us have food and guns, what else can they do? They can just rob the coal mines.

Thinking of this, a chill ran down Riley's spine.

This group of Chinese workers belonged to a group beyond his cognition, so he had no way of guessing what they would do.

No! You have to notify the headquarters immediately and ask them to send people to protect the coal mine!

(End of chapter)