The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1896-12-24
BIG STRIKE IN ABEYANCE
BOSTON'S $500 RIILWAY EMPLOYES
THREATEN TO QUIT IVOR6.


poned for a week-Ther Grievance is
That the West End Road Will Not Sign
an Agreement With the Union-The EN-
ployes Make an Address to the Public.
Boston, Dec. 23.-After a long session
ductors' and Motormen's union, COM
posed of employees of the West End
Street Railway, voted to strike unless
their demand for recognition as a
union by the signing of a working
agreement by officials of the company
was compiled with by o'clock to-
day. A committee presented the prop
osition at the Offices of the Company,
and correspondence passed between
the president and the employees, but
the letters from President Little seem
to have automatically avoided the real
issue and no agreement has been sign
ed. At 3 o'clock President Little was
asked If he had any statement to make
to the newspapers, and replied that he
had nothing whatever to say.
At the same hour the employees held
meeting at their headquarters and,
having received no word from the com
pany which would enable them to come
to an agreement, voted to cease the
running of cars at midnight tonight.
Immediately afterward the leaders be-
san sending out the notices that the
strike was to become an actuality to
the different divisions of the system.
At first the strike will affect only
drivers, motormen and conductors, but
it may later include other employees
1t is not known how far it may even
tually extend. 1t is claimed that $500
men viii go out on the first call if
the conference which is in session this
evening between the employees com
mittee and the directors does not result
in some settlement which shall avert a
strike.
The employees issued a statement this
afternoon: ITO the West End Railway
company and the public" in which
they say: I'VE, as conductors, drivers
and motormen of the West End Street
Railway system, regret exceedingly,
that we have thus far failed to secure
a conference in regard to the agree
ment under which we can work during
the year 1897. Our repeated requests
have caused us only to be trifled with,
and the frequent requests to your
president, have brought us no re-
sponse.
tThe necessity for this agreement be-
tween us, as employer and employees,
| is imperative. Our experience during
| the past year and more without an
agreement, has been such as men who
are capable of handling the cars on
! the crowded streets of Boston will not
endure. We confess that you have
| been ignorant of these conditions, and
We're we to continue to endure them
you would remain so. You lay down
rules for our guidance and exact con-
ditions that require the full measure
of the average mans ability to full
fill; but under your system of disci-
pline, we owe unqualified and unques-
tioning obedience to innumerable mas
ters, each of whom in turn, we pre-
sumo, is held responsible for results,
and each exacts all additional labor
from us that he possibly can.
ITO the whims of each of these petty
/ tyrants (if they choose to be tyrants
| which is altogether too frequently the
case), we are daily and hourly subject
and word of complaint means a loss
! of one or more days pay and too often
discharge. If man complains to a su-
perior officer concerning his treatment
he is usually Disseminated in innumer-
able ways, and is soon taught a les
son.
"Fhe only way in which the men can
safely make known their grievances tc
the proper power to remedy them is
through the representatives of our or
ganizations To work without an
agreement whereby these things car
be adjusted and regulated, and not left
to the arbitrary will and whim of sub
ordinates is almost intolerable. With
it each man knows his duty, and his
work; known when and where to make
complaint, and how"
They agree that severe discipline Is
necessary, and say that they wish tc
work with the management in main
tanning it. They know the weak points
of the system and feel that they can be
of advantage to the management il
heard directly They further say thai
they wish for nothing unreasonable
but must have an agreement of some
kind. They have tried the method Of
individual dealings with the same gen
eraI rule, and cannot endure it.
During 1885, say the men, 1--WE have
been compelled to work daily from. ter
hours and a, quarter. and in many case:
to eleven hours in violation of law
We have bene scheduled out for a SCI
of trips on a timetable which the com.
pany knows it is impossible to run. W.
work over the legal limit, though 4
could be remedied by a moments worl
on the timetable. We are compelled t.
lose time and money by being laid off
and even discharged, for trifles.
There are, perhaps, an average 0,
thirty men daily thus laid off, and al
average of perhaps two per day dis
charged. Cases are numerous where
men have no opportunity to get a meal
save a sandwich, during a period O.
twelve or thirteen hours. and wher
they reported it they were told that L
is a part of the business and must b,
endured. We want no trouble, and alb
hor strike. We have no secrets. Ou
constitution and bylaws are open Il
your inspection. Without an agree
ment our wages may be cut any da,
and we have no remedy. We hope tha
with this full explanation the manage
ment will reconsider their action"