Warren sheaf. [volume] (Warren, Marshall County, Minn.) 1880-current, 1891-05-21
FURIOUS sWiTcHMEN.

FURIOUS sWlTcHMEN.
The Supreme Council Refuses TO Sustain
the Looked Out Northwestern Employees
81 The Trainncn Are Charged with ConA
spiring with the Railway Ofncials tt
W0Ek tito Downfall af Their Brethren.
| CHICAGO, May 1s.Aftcr a session
which lasted from II o'clock Saturday
morning until o'clock Saturday night
the supreme council Of the United
Order of Railway Employees decided to
! aisapprove the grievance Of the
! Switchmen's Mutual Aid association
against the Chicago & Northwestern
Railroad Company.
It was brought out during the discus
| sion that the Brother hood Of Trainmep
had determined to support sMcInerny.
who was member Of their organiza4
Eion:and It sests shown thtst etings had
been held between the officials Of
the Brotherhood Of Trainmen and
Firemen and the officers of
the railway company to concoct
measures to get rid Of the
sWitchmen. A scheme was devised
and q !: agreed to BY the chief officials
OF The frenaeh afld trainnien that the
Chicago s Northwestern Railroad Com
pany should discharge all the switchmen
on account OF some grievance, and that
then the trainmen and firemen &C uld
take their places temporarily. This
agreement was made in writing and
signed by representatives of the two
organizations with the full connivance
of the chief executives of these organi-
cations
n. These charges made BY the sw;tchs
in mel. We're; however, unheeded, and il
was ruled that the trainmen we're not
on trial before the council, but that
what they had met to discuss was d
grievance TO the switch,nen. IA vote was
eventually ordered to lie taken on the
question of approving or disappearing
or the switchmen's grievance. The
firemen. only having two representa-
tiVes present, were not entitled to vote,
and this left the settlement Of the ques-
ton to the cbndtictors; switchmcni
and trainmen. BY the rules OF the
council a grievance to be approved
must have the unanimous vote OF the
organizations, and if one vote is cast
against it the grievance is disapproyed.
The, conductors and switcliman or q
total Of six, voted in favor Of approving
the grievance, and the trainmen, three
IN number, voted to disapprove In
consequence the switchmen lost their
case and the action Of the road was sus-
tained:
a yrync Sy,4, =
that all the tra;nmen now in the SER
vice Of the Northwestern road and filing
the sWitchmen's places would with
draw and make way for those switch
men who had been discharged. This
was carried by vots OF 6 to 8, and
then Grand Master Wilkinson, of
the trainmen, got up and re-
fused to abide by the order,
defying the council to make him do so.
w. a. Sheahan, the secretary of the
council, and the grand secretary of the
such order to his men.
The resolution was withdrawn and
another resolution was offered which
allowed McInerny to be retained in his
present position, but providing for the
return of the discharged switchmen to
their old places This was also OPP
posed most vehemently by the train
men and ultim ately it was withdrawn,
A resolution censuring those officials
connected with the United Order of
Railway Employees who had conspired
with the Northwestern railway against
a kindred organization was at
tempted to be introduced, but
after some discussion it was laid
aside and no further definite action wa3
taken.
Judging from present indications
there will be no further trouble be-
tween the Chicago s. Northwestern
railway and the discharged switehmea,
nor is there any likelihood Of any dis
turbance occurring on other roads.
The grand lodge of the Switchnen.s
Mutual Aid association met SUNDAY
and discussed the action of the supreme
council Of the United Order Of Rail
way Employees on Saturday. The course
pursued by the representatives OF
the trainmen and President Sargent
was unanimously condemned.
The switchmen recognized the fulfill
ity of contenaing against a powerful
railroad corporation backed by the
engineers, franen and trainmen anu
made up their minds to surrender
gracefully rather than carry on fight
which was certain to end III defeat
Acting under the advice of the officers
the switchmcn will endeayor to obtain
thc!:: old situations, and from the opin-
ions expressed By General Manager
Whitman and other. official Of the roas,
it is probable that so per cent. Of tho
men will be back at work within the
next few days.