Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1888-02-25
BIG RAILROAD STRIKE.
The Brotherhood- OF Engineers and
firemen Enforcing heir De-
INV teleeraph b fhe Dispafch.I


lBy telegraph 70 the Dispatch.l
CHICAGO, February 24.-ltis probable
that the Chicago. Burlington and Quincy
railroad will be tied up from one end to
the other. Freight rs well as passenger
traffic will be stopped, and most OF the
switch engines will I've abandoned. The
Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers
and the Brotherhood Of Locomotive Fire
men have decided upon a strike as a last
resort to enforce their demands upon the
railroad company, and as both organize
tons are very strong on this ROAD
as well as elsewbcre, they confidently eX-
pect to tie up the road completely ana
win the strike. This step derives its I'M
portance not only FROM the large IN
terests involved if the strikers succeed IL
paralyzing of the biggest railroads Of
the West, but because OF late it has been
generally accepted that the locomotive
engineers were so unalterably opposed
TO strikes that no conjunction OF circum-
stances could he imagined that would IN
duce the members to resort to that
means.
The resolution OF the Chicago. Bur
ington and Quincy men is genuine
surprise. A few days ago Chief Arthur
startled the labor world by the announce
ment that il was the intention OF his or
gaDiZation to do away with classified
wages and make the pay of all the men
the same for the same kind OF work,
without reference to the length Of time
they had been employed by the com
pany. Thus the locomotive engineers,
hitherto considered the most conserva-
tive labor organization Of the country,
placed itself in the matter OF wages on
the same ground as the most advanced
trades unions. The conclusion to do
away with all Classification IN the wages
of engineers and it may be added here
that the 6remen are acting in concert
with them throughout-was reached ny
the brotherhood at It's session IN Chi
cago last October aud resolution was
adopted to enforce this new plan all over
the United States wherever the organlza-
ton was strong enough to do so. Ihis
provisO was added for the purpose OF
avoiding conflict where the organiza-
ton was sure to be beaten. The prlnci-
pal reason for this step, as Chief Arthur
explains, was that the railroads were
beginning to discharge men who had
been in the service a long time and
were drawing better pay and to put
in their places men who were not vete-
rams in the trade, hut were capable of
doing the work just as well and willing
to take lower wages The resultwas that
engineers of long experience had DIM
Guilty in getting work and the general
standard OF wages WAS reduced. The
same appliedto tircmen, who got % to
90 per cent. Of the pay of engineers
After several months Of labor the men
have succeeded in introducing n uni
form scale of wages for all en-
e;neers on road service on the Chicago,
Milwaukee and ~. Paul, Chicago and
Northwestern, Chicago and Alton, the
Wabash, Chicago and Atlantic, Atchison,
Topeka and Santa lie, and other west
ern lines. The new scale is 81 cents
mile for freight engineers and / cents
for passenger engineers, andOJ per cent.
for iiremcn.
All their negotiations were successful
until they called on the Chicago, Bur
lington and Quincy road. For three
weeks past a committee Of engineers and
fremen OF that road, with Chief Arthur,
Of the engineers, and Grandchildren
Sargent, OF the fremen, at the head, have
been negotiating with General Manager
Stone and Superintendent Bessler to
bring about "A similar arrangement
TO those on other roads. At present the
Chicago, Burlington and Quincy Is
working under an arrangement made
last year with Yice-President Potter. 1t
makes special arrangements with It's men
by the trip, paying Il certain amount