San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1895-01-04
STREET CAR MEN.
Alleged Grievances---State-
ment of the Case.

For some time certain employees and cx-
employees OF the San Antonio Street Rail
way company, through the Brotherhood
of Electric Carmen, have endeavored 10
run the affairs OF the company 10 an eX-
tent that became almost unbearable.
After presenting several So-called griev-
anceS, which the company'S officers dis
cuSsed with them fully, they yesterday
presented what they called final de-
mand. the terms of which indicated that
thew would go out on a strike in case
these final demands were not agreed to by
the company. In order TO ascertain the
feeling Of the majority of the men en-
pIOyed by the company Superintendent
willis called them all together at the
San Pedro line sheds at 6 O'Clock this
morning and read them a written answer
TO their demands, as follows:
SAN ANTONIO, Texas, Jan. 4, '95.
To Conductors and Motorneers: On yes
terday. at about 10 clock a. M, the fol-
lowing communication was handed to me
by Mr.. J d. Miller:
To Mr. w. H. Weiss, President. and Mr..
d. D. Willis, Superintendent 5. A. St.
R'y. Co.,
Gentlemen-At a regular meeting of the
Brotherhood of Electric Carmen, Division
No. Al, Of the Amalgamated ASSOCIATION
of Street Railway Employees OF America,
it was after due deliberation resolved to
make final stand for their rights, and
the following articles were agreed upon
and a decided answer demanded by Fri
day, at 10 a. m.
ARTICLE |.
Section l. No person shall be employed
in any capacity on a street car that may
be operated by the S. A. St. Ry. Co. who
is under p years Of age, and each person
shall not receive less than l2R cts. per
nd 70 fV1Fn Il M s
worh.
Section .. All new men when they are
turned in shall not receive less than 1917
cts. per hour and - hours to constitute
days work.
Section g. Our time between the hours
of 6 a. m. and midnight shall be 1212 cts.
per hour and between l. midnight and 6
a. m. shall be rs cts. per hour.
ARTICLE
Section l. There has been for some time
past considerable changing of men from
conductor TO motormen and vice versa
and we demand that seniority in all cases
must rule. The oldest man in the service
Of the company at their respective sheds
tO,be given 6 to run, as best qualified
for position as conductor or motorman,
the next eldest to be entitled to a Il TO y,
and the youngest to a 6 to II.
Section 2. The company shall have the
ductOr 10 mOtorman or vice versa, but in
ne case will they have the right to re-
move man from one shed TO another
and thereby infringing on the rights of
seniority OF the men already employed on
either line.
ARTICLE 3.
Sec /. All cars now running. or that
may hereafter be run by the 5. A. st. Ry.
Co. shall have two men employed on each
aud every car.
ARTICLE4.
Sec. l. After fully investigating the
charges against Wanschaff, Reynolds,
McRae, Schlecher and Sims, we believe
that they have been DISCHARGED without
sufficient cause and we demand that they
be Immediately reinstated to all their
former rights.
1t was unanimously voted that the
company have until 10 a. m. Friday, Jan.
4, 1895, TO deliberate upon the aforesaid
articles before any decided action is taken,
and decided answer be given by the
company to the committee at that time,
whether they will recognize our demands
or not. Signed: c. l.. HILL,
President.
Signed J. NJ. MOSES.
j. D. MILLER.
J NJ. BROOKS.
Committee
Signed: B. 0. CAMERON,
Secretary.
Which has had my careful consideration
and have been instructed by the own
erS Of the property to make answer to the
same as follows: TO
SECTION l, OF ARTICLE l.
We have to inform you that, the COM
pany does not employ any one under
twentyone years of ge,nor is it paying
any competent and experienced man en-
gagged in the operation of a car less than
l219 cts. per hour for each hours work
performed for them.
That, it does not ask any of its con-
ductOrS or mOtOrneerS 10 work more than
twelve hours, per day. but whenever an
employee, due TO any extraordinary con-
ditiOns, is obliged TO work more than y
hours IL has invariably paid for such
service at the rate Of 121! cts. per day.
To SeC.2 of Art We have 20 saylithat,
it has been the custom to employ green"
men at 81. 3j per day of twelve hours, ad-
Vancing their pay to $3.50 per day of
twelve hours as soon as they were eXpe-
rienced and competent; that, while some
men become competent mOtOrneerS with
in thirty days after taking service, others
require from 60 TO 80 days before they be-
come competent, hence the fixing of the
three months learning" limit before the
pay is advanced to $3.50 per day, of which
all applicants for work are Informed be-
fore they engage with us; but, as before
stated. we have voluntarily advanced the
pay TO l219 cts. per hour to such new men
who became-in our opinion-competent
before the three months limit, as hereto
fore stated, expired.
~ The numerous applicants we have daily
indicates clearly that men who wish TO
. follow the Street Railway business are
quite willing to work for 81 .35 per day OF
twelve hours, under. the three months
learning" limit.
TO SECTION 3, OF ARTICLE l.
We have to say that, when our men en-.
gage with us they understand distinctly
tnat tnelF pay Sna ro De as AFORESAID mere
cars after midnight, hut perhaps a hal
dozen times during the year, to accommo'
date the public, this is done; any increase