The Portland daily press., 1896-12-24
WILL WAIT A WEEK.
Strike of Boston Street Railway
Employees Postponed


Until President Can Confer With Directors
Men Make Public Reasons for Their
Action-Long Conference With the
Management.
Boston. December 23.-After long
session, the Conductors and Motormen
union composed of the employees of the
West End street railway, this evening
voted to strike unless the officials of the
company shall sign working agreement
by .. m. today. The company pre-
sented a proposition at the othce of tie
company, but President Little in his
reply seems to have automatically
avoided the real issue as no agreement
was signed. At 8 p. m. Mr.. Little said
he had no statement to make for publi-
cation. At the same hour the employees
voted to strike at midnight tonight. The
first call will affect the drivers. motor-
men and conductors, but other employees
may be called out. 1t is estimated that
$500 men will 90 out on the first call.
which will be made il some settlement
which will avert the strike is MOI reached
at this evenings conference; between the
employees company and the directors.
The employees this afternoon issued
statement to the company and the public,
in which they declare that the WORKING
agreement for 1887 is imperative, as their
experience without any agreement during
| the past year or more has been unendu..
| rable; that the company was ignorant OF
| the existing conditions and would re-
| main so If the employees continued to en-
| dure them; that under the company's s
system of discipline, the employees owe
unqualified and unquestioning obedience
| to innumegable masters, each or whom
exacts all the additional labor from the
employees he possibly can, that word OF
complaint regarding these matters means
| loss of one or more days pay. and often
| discharge; that if q man complains to a
superior officer concerning his treatnenb
| be Ia usually Disseminated against in in
raasstn araHDle ways and is soon taught a
lesson that the only way in which the
men can safely make known their
grievances to the proper power to remedy
them, is through the representatives OF
organizations.
| The employees agree that severe dlscip-
line is necessary and say they wish to
| work with the management in maintain
| ing ii. They say that they wish for
nothing unreasonable but must have an
agreement. They say: During 1896 we
l
| ten and quarter hours and in ma1y
| cases eleven hours in violation of law.
We have been scheduled for trips on time
| tables which the company have known it
| is impossible to run. We are compelled to
lose I'll me and money by being laid off
and even discharged for trif1es. There
are perhaps an average of thirty men
daily thus laid off, and an average of
perhaps two per day discharged. Cases
are numerous where the men have no op-
por5unity to get meal, save sandwich
| during period OF twelve or thirteen
| hours, and when they report it they are
| told, 1T is part of the business and must
be endured. We want no trouble and
abhor strike. Without an agreement
our wages may be cut any day and we
have no remedy. We hope with this ex-
planatlon the management will recon
slider it's decision.
committee of the employees and
directors this evening disou1sed the
| situation for three or four hours. Presi-
dent Little said the sole power TO ratify
| such an agreement as was submitted by
the employees was vested In the executive
COMMITTEES of the board of directors, that
| the majority of said committee was not
now in the stats and had not been since
| the matter came up, consequently the
signing of an agreement at this time was
| utterly impossible. He asked for a
weeks time in which to obtain the ex-
preston of opinion from the executive
committee After deliberation the en-
| ployes' committee consented to hold the
| strike order in allegiance one week, pond
| ing decisive answer to their demands
from the executive committee of the West
| End directors.