Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1886-02-04
rHr RB1rsr PAN.
Pennsylvania Rniircss Employees
Opposed 10 Et-Meetings Held.
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to-day, meets with much opposition from
the employees of the road. The regula-
tions have been neatly printed on large
roller aliases, which have been hung up
in the different headquarters of the EN-.
ployes, and they were yesterday carefully
and freely examined.
Division No. 45 of the Brotherhood of
Locomotive Engineers met yesterday
afternoon at its hall, Fortieth street and
Lancaster avenue, and discussed the
regulations at length. No definite action
was taken, but the opposition was unani.
nous against the proposed relief. The
engineers contrasted the benefits offered
by the railroad company with those to be
derived from their own brotherhood, max
ing very unfayoroble showing for the
former. Members of the brotherhood pay
an assessment of from $3.50 to "a a
month, and in return the families receive,
in case of death, natural or accidental, or
total disability, $1,000. The railroad as
sessment is 80 month, and in the event
of natural death, the beneticiaries re-
ceiye only $1,000. For an accidental
death the benefit is $4,000. In the
brotherhood the period of sick benefits is
without limitation, but under the COM
pany's rules the benefit il w and $3.50,
according to the class of the engineer, for
26 weeks, and for half those amounts for
the next 26 weeks, ending entirely at the
end of q year. The engineers say that for
the sum of insurance charged by the rail
roads they could take out twice or three
times as much in their own organization.
The fremen assert that they have an
equally strong case. Most of them belong
to the Brotherhood of Locomotive Fire
men, TO which they pay an assessment of
81 month. For this they are entitled to
81 500 insurance. 10 the Pennsylvania
railroad they pay $3.50 a month, being
mostly of the second class, and for this
the return will be $500 i'll the event of
natural death and $1,000 for accidental
death. Why difference should be made
in the amount of insurance payable on
death, whether from natural causes or
by violence, the men cannot understand,
no such distinction being made in their
own organization.
The conductors are, as q rule, members
of the Order of Railway Conductors, and
pay an assessment averaging ID cents a
week. 10 the relief department they
will pay Sc cents week, which will
entitle them $l.50 a week sick benefit,
$3.50 for natural death, and 81 800 for
accidental death. Their order will pay IS
week for sickness and 81, 900 in the
event of DEATH The sick benefits for the
classes do not begin until after the first
week in case of natural sickness, and are
only for six days a week, Sundays not
being included.
These are but n few of the apparent in
justices which appear in the regulations.
The clerks, station men and others who
are not exposed to any especial danger
claim that they have to pay the same rates
as engineers, brakemen, tiremeu and
others whose work is attended with great
risks to life, and claim that this is unfair
to them. Nearly every class of employees
have some peculiar grounds for dlscon-
tent. These will be made known to Sup
erintendent Anderson and the Advisory
| Boards, and the men believe that after O
little practical working has shown the in
consistencies and excessive charges of the
new plan and they will be corrected.
One regulation which cxcites much
indignation is that which states that il
reductions of the working force of the
company preference will he given tc
those men who are members of til reliet
departments This is regarded MS {
covert threat of discharge TO those who
do not join the organization. Employees
entering the service of the company aftei
to-day ure given no choice i'll the matter
but must Join if they successfully pass
medical examination Employees wht
leave the company also forfeit all the,
have paid in.
A meeting to explain the purposes o
I - IL AL
Thompson's Office, near Callowhill stree
bridge, yesterday morning, but wa
poorly attended. In the afternoon
meeting of the members of Camdel
Division, Brotherhood of Engineers, wa
held at their hall in the Daily Post build
ing, Camden, to consider the scheme
About 80 engineers were present, the,
being employed on the Anboy Division
and the West Jersey railroad. Although
the proceedings were seeret,it was under
, stood from reliable source that tn
division decided not to accept the plan
) THE JERSEY CITY MEETING.
The engineers, firemen and brakemei
of the Pennsylvania Railroad Company a
Jersey City held secret meetings Sun
day to discuss the relief fund schem
recently adopted by the company. 1t
understood that the meetings adopte
, resolutions protesting against the scheme
and deciding to bring the matter to tn
|, notice of the supreme councils of tn
.. Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineer
and Firemen. The men understand thG
lit will be compulsory for them to joi
the relief fund, and that they will forte
all sums paid into the fund ii discharge
! from the company's service"
NEW YoRK, Feb. 2.-Ihe meetings hel
! by the different branches of the Brother
: hood of Locomotive Engineers on Sunda
have had depressing effect upon I'll
Pennsylvania railr oad. The directors {
the road yesterday did not speak SO cont
!, IDENTIFY about the fund, and said they di
not think there was any clause in the
circular making it compulsory for men [
become members of the relief fund asst
, citation. Each director said, moreovel
that the brotherhood was one of the mo-
valued friends of the company, and thi
any of its demands, provided they wei
, as sensible as those hitherto made, woul
= certainly be complied with.
= One of the engineers, speaking of I'll
! meeting last night, said that although
= was secret meeting there would be n
= harm in telling the public that il In
: been decided TO stubbornly combat til
! attempts of the company to force the me
= into the relief fund scheme. sit wa
there decided" said the engineer, "nc
y by vote, but by expressions, which wei
unanimous, to spend every dollar of I'll
: brotherhoods fund and to strike on ever
. line OF the road rather than comply wit
. the corporations demands. Althoug
meetings, also private, were held in Pitts
: burg Harrisburg and other points alon
the line, vet members from these brhnche
!, were sent to Jersey City, and we ser
gentlemen to these cities to report til
feeling among the men. There wer
secret meetings held everywhere, and
. the Pennsylvania railroad people thin
they have not stirred up hornets mes
: they should have been in these differen
cities last night and read some of til
resolutions
|; "What funds, " it was asked, 'tare ther
! in the brotherhood to support the me
J during striker
According to latest reports, was til
reply, cit is estimated that the tota
amount controlled by the brotherhood, a
I the present, is sufficient to carry on
strike of six months duration. A strik
could be maintained on one line, how
ever, for an indefinite time, because al
the other engineers would be workin
and willing to hand in their dollars 70
such n cause. The amount of dues an
nually received and the assessments pre-
: vided for in case of strike, would allo,
, the men to live very comfortably, almos
as much SO as at present.
Stock Broker Roberts of New stree