Waterbury evening Democrat., 1888-10-25
STRENGTH IN UNION.
All Railroad Men Uniting In
 One Organization.
GREAT LABOR FEDERATION

Articles of Agreement by the Chiefs of the
 Engineers and Firemen-Conductors and
 Brakemen Coming in-The Plan of the
 Union.
 RICHMOND, Va, Oct. 25.-The proposition which was made at the mass meeting Of the Brotherhoods of Locomotive Engineers and Bremen held in the Grand Opera house in New York on Sunday, June A, to amalga- mate all labor organizations connected with railroad service, and thus form what will probably be the largest labor organization in the world, was consumlnated here on Sat urday last by the signing of the articles of confederation of an association of the Broth erhoods of Locomotive Engineers and Fire men, and the Switchmen's and Brakemen's unions.
 The Union of Railroad Conductors. if they have not already signed the articles of con- federation, will undoubtedly do so The pro poSal to form this union of railroad employees was the outcome of the prolonged and per sistent struggle between the engineers on the Chicago, Burlington and Quincy railroad and the officials of that road
 The subject was fully discussed at the New York mass meeting referred to, and met with the unanimous approval of the men present, who represented lines extending from San Francisco to Boston, and from Canada to Mexico, the railroads which are owned and controlled by American capital in the latter country being represented at the meeting The question was referred for decision to the national convention of railroad employees, which has been session for the last week in this city.
 It is learned that the articles of federation were signed in this city on Saturday by Chief h-%i Nf {6o >f T 1.-two Engineers, Grand Master F. P. Sargent of the Firemen's union and Grand Organizer Bailey, of the Switchmen's and Brakemen's unions. The conductors, as stated, will join the federation, and all employees of railroad companies have been asked to join, irreSpec- tive of the positions in which they are en- ployed. It is said that the telegraph opera tors along the railroad lines will also be represented in the federation.
 It is understood that the title of the new organization will be "The National Fedora tion of Railroad Employes in the Transporta- ton Department, and according to the arti- c}es of agreement each brotherhood or union Of railroad employees will elect one delegate to represent its own body in a general coun- cil. This board will receive from all divis- ions, or lodges, of engineers, firemen, switch men, brakemen etc, any complaint or griev- ance made to a lodge or division by mem Der against the company by which the man is employed The board, or council, will then consider the grievance, and will direct the body, engineers, firemen, or others, as the case may be- what action to take in the matter.
 In cases where it is considered that an en- ploye has been unjustly or severely treated, the organization to which the complainant belongs will be directed to request his rein statement or the redress of the wrong con- plained of, and in the event of this request being refused, will, with the sanction of the council, order strike of those men employed in the same organization on the road, i e. of engineers if their brotherhood is aggrieved, of firemen, If one of their union is the com plainant, and on. The strike is to be con- fined to that organization solely in which the complaint lies, so long no ''scab" labor is employed to fill the vacancies of strikers, but in the event of "scabs' being taken on to fill the vacant places, all the employees on the road will be ordered out, and total and pos itive tie up of the road will be ordered
 The financial basis of the federation will apparently be sound, as the agreement pro vides for pooling of all reserve funds of the various organizations comprising the new or ganizations, and it is said that the fund already paid ill from this source aggregates over S5OO,OOO irrespective of arrears of sub scriptions and balances now standing to the credit of the organizations which have not yet made returns of their accounts
 The Brotherhoods of Engineers and Fire men have paid toward the support of the Chicago, Burlington and Quincy strikers S5 per man a month since the beginning of the strike, and Chief Arthur, of the engineers announced here to the federation that 90 per cent of that assessment had been paid with. out drawing upon their reserve fund up tc this time. The federation unanimously passed a resolution to support the Chicago, Burling ton and Quincy strikers until their wrongs are redreSsed.