The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1893-10-13
REFUSES TO SIGN IT
Manager Mclean and the Brother
hood Agreement.
Street-Car Men Present Their Grievance
to the. Public-POint Involved
The Managers Statement.

The street-car brotherhood held its reg
ular meeting last night, and decided to lay
before the public its grievance. They re-
ceived but little satisfaction from General
Manager Mclean, they say, and commit
tee waited on the newspapers last night
| and asked that the agreement which the
general manager refused to sign be made
public. A committee waited on Mr.. Nc
Lean last Saturday, and it was at that
time he declined to sign the proffered agree
ment The men claim that there have
been a great many removals lately, and
that the general manager has not deigned
to give the reasons for the removals. In
this the statement of the general manager
and of the men are at variance. Mr.. Nc
Lean says he has given the cause in every
instance. The men further claim that the
substitution of electricity for animal power
has done away with great many cars
and that now there are three crews of
men for every train that is in service The
extra men are kept as substitutes, but it
is claimed that they will not average two
days employment each during a week.
1t is stated that the general manager is
bringing men here from the East to take
positions, while there are many of the old
| men, who have been guilty of no offense
should be given to these extra men who
have lived in the city. They also want a
discharged man to know the cause of his
removal. AS it is now, they claim, a man
goes out Of the service with the suspicion.
OF pilfering attached to his name. The fol.
| lowing is the agreement which the general
manager refused to sign:
This agreement, made and entered into
thls - day of -, 1898, between the Citi-
zens' Street-railroad Company, of Indianap-
Oils Ind, parties of the first part, and the
| Brotherhood of Car Drivers Motormen and
conductors, of indianapolis, Ind, parties Of
the second part, witnesseth that the two
parties to this agreement do mutually agree:
flrst.'fhat the car-service men shall be
promoted in the car service in regular order
WIN reference to their age in the car serv-
| Ice. their age to date from the time they
began work, or from the time they lost their
runs
"Second-That men that are driving mules
snail De promoted to motormen or conduct
| orS, and the last men hired shall succeed
| them as drivers.
"Third-In case a man is incompetent for
the position he holds he shall be assigned to
other duties to suit his qualifications, and
III ne Is incompetent for all duties in the car
service nee and it is proven to the satisfaction
shall be dismissed from the car service.
| Fourth-When a car-service man is re-
ported for any misconduct, and Is suspended
or discharged, the accuser shall face the
accused and prove him guilty.
| '-F1fth-An officer of the company finding
| a car-servlce man guilty of any misconduct
| shall report the same to the general man
ager, who shall use his discretion in such
case.
| "Sixth-That men on the extra list shall
have an equal amount Of work far as
| possible.
'.seventh-willful violations of rules will
not be tolerated.
| Eighth -Car-service men shall not be
compelled to do more than, an ordinary
Il time nd half
for such extra work"
General Manager Mclean was seen last
night regarding the agreement which the
brotherhood wanted him to sign. He was
| somewhat averse to talking for publication
| on the matter.
will you sign the agreement" he was
| asked.
| Il will not" he replied, with some firm
ness
Then you will not give the men the
| cause when you discharge them?'
| stance"
They claim that an injustice might be
1 q cause. The O'Leary case is cited, where
the man was discharged for an offense
committed by another man who was a
I'm that case" continued Mr.. Mclean,
sit took about five minutes to correct the
| mistake. i told the barn foreman to send
| me the man who was running on certain
| car at a certain hour. The wrong man was
1 sent down. Leary was promptly rein
stated when the facts became known to
| me-"
| THE men urged, also, in asking you to
| sign the agreement, that they had some
what similar agreement with Mr.. Fren-
EEL"
Yes, and how long did they keep it?
| Who broke it first? What guarantee would
/ we have that they would keep this new
| agreement? Take the case of the College
| avenue tie-up, for instance. L am an exec
| utive officer of this company, and am re-
/ sponsible to the public and to the stock
| holders for the proper management of the
| companys service. L do not want to have
any trouble with the men, for I intend to
| treat them fairly and squarely. All that is
| asked of them is TO do their duty"
| Mr. Mclean was shown the agreement
| which the men had submitted. He glanced
| at Ii and remarked:
/ Take this clause, for instance, where
/ the men are to be judges in part, of their
fitness for the car service. is there q store
4 that would allow the clerks to pass upon
| their own fitness for the positions they
| hold. 1t provides, further, that if a man is
not fitted for a certain position then he
1 is to be given another position equal to
his capacity. If he is not fitted for this
| position, then he is to be removed from
1 the service, provided this is proven to
| both parties. think the unfairness of the
| agreement is patent on its face. The COM
| pany is the judge of the ability of the men
| It employs. There are a number of young
| unmarried men in the service who have
| been doing altogether too much agitating,
| keeping other men from peacefully work