Telegram-herald., 1891-05-16
FORCED INTO THU FIGHT
The Street Car Company Again
Presents It's Cause.
EVERY CONCESSION ASKED GRAINED
As Long ~ the Men Were Reasonable In
Their D~maads-rh<y Refuse 20 Dis
charge Old Employees At the B~hsst
OF the Union-Ihe Case ia Detail

Va shS kc y osc ~ AS&toht-
To Street Car Patrons and the General Public:
The management of the Street Rail
way system of Grand Rapids realizes
that in the conduct of It's business Of
carrying passengers, il is held more ac-
countable to public opinion than would
be any other corporation or individual.
With this in mind, We desire 10 state
our position and explanation Of the
present trortle with our late employees.
One year ago the men on the lines of
the old Street Railway Company were
working fourteen and fifteen hours
per day and were receiving therefor
Sl.65 per day. On the 9th day of July,
1890. a strike was inaugarsted because
Mr.. Bevier, then superintendent OF that
system. did not accede to a demand for
a twelve-hour day with the same pay.
As soon as the principal owners Of the
road, Messrs. Hayes and Mather, OF
Cleveland, could be consulted. the de-
mands of the strikers was granted and
twelve hours was agreed upon rs q
days work. Since that time and es-
pecially since February lst, this year.
we have made many concessions TO the
men and have in every case tried to do
right and treat our men as literally IS
consistent with an economical and
just administration of affairs. Al the
time of the consolidation of the two
systems of railways, the drivers of the
horse cars of the cable system were re-
ceiving only $3.50 per day. 1t Is fact
that these lines were not earning ex-
penses, yet when the demand was made
for the same time and pay for these
men that the lines of the old company
were paying 1t was cheerfully granted.
Gable Wages and Horse Car Wages.
Up to May 9, the day previous to the
strike, the drivers and conductors
on the cable cars were working about
twelve hours and were receiving $500
per day. The demand of the men was
for a shorter day. The hours on the
horse car lines had been reduced from
the twelve hour. as agreed upon, to ten
hours and thirty-three minutes per
day and the pay had remained the
same. The cable men demanded the
same hours worked by the horse car
men, but insisted that they be paid
~-.VV pei Ody. HI Icpiy, dii0 dt tuc
| conference held on the evening Of May
| 6, we proposed to make the hours of
the horse car men, namely, ten hours
| and thirty-three minutes, aud $l.65 and
Sl.75 per day, uniform over all the
lines, except that gripmen should re-
| ceive the same as conductors; further,
| that if the cable men argued that their
! duties were more arduous, or their re-
| sponsibility greater, any who preferred
| would be transferred to the horse car
lines. Another proposition was to re-
organize the whole system, to hire by
the hour and pay each man for the
number of hours he worked; these
propositions were rejected by the COM
mittee, and on Saturday, May 9, a bull
letin was posted at the Lyon-st. power
house winch made things much easier
for them. Besides being posted, the
attention of every man was personally
called to the notice, that there might
be no Misunderstanding III regard to
intentions of the company. This roster
would have required the cable men TO
work eleven hours and forty-four min.
utes for $500 per day. The horse car
men were working ten hours and
thirty-three minutes for Sl.65 and $l.75
per day, practically the same wages.
| Forced to Fight IL Out.
Many other concessions have been
made which might be enumerated.
The penalty for being late in the morn
ing was reduced. Their request that
all employees be allowed to ride free in
any part of the city, whether on duty
or off, was granted. Conductors were
relieved from reporting to Office on
their afternoons off. Conductors and
gripmen were relieved from washing
their cars on Sunday mornings. A
| time table was arranged so that each
crew was allowed to report a certain
number of minutes before their tram
started, instead of all reporting before
the cable started as formerly. They
were allowed to purchase uniforms At
any place and at any price they saw
fit, the only stipulation being that the
uniform bear inspection in August. In
spite of all these concessions. on Sat
urady night, May 9th, or early Sunday
morning the strike was declared. In
| reviewing the situation on Sunday. il
seemed to rs that the street car men
| and their Union were being manipu-
lated ny few leaders, who were bound
! a strike should occur at all hazards,
and that we might as well fight it out
one time az another. Ii should be re-
membered that within ten months the
hours of the horse car men have been
reduced from fourteen and one-half
TO ten and one-half hours per day,
whilc their paw remai ned the same,
conductors were raised ten cents per
day. and the cable men we're offered
better pay per hour or the same hourl
and the same pay, 80 they preferred
At all recent conferences the commit
tee was composed of cable men only
who were always cheerfullv granted a
hearing. The street railway men have
never presented any grievance. neither
by committee or in writing and tbi:
strike has been forced upon them.
Word on the Iron clad Contract
The "Iron Clad Contract" has been
in existence on the old street railway
for years and was adopted by the cable
road in 1889 and signed by its employees
! No hardship under this contract ha'
ever been caused any employee or
either road. Similar contracts are in
force everywhere; an objection Is raised
at thls time simply TO gain sympathy
| and for no other purpose. This same
contract wss IN effec: during the strike
| Of lass July and 10 nentlon OF 4 va.
| made by the strikers At that time. The
whole object Of the contract j. 20 make
men more careful in the discharge 81
their duties. The new clause which
vas sdded last Tuesday was the oni,
| alternative left the cornpsuv, ss tn
! union demanded toe discharge Of a.
noB-u1lon men IN the empiey Of ths