Lincoln County leader. [volume] (Toledo, Lincoln County, Or.) 1893-1987, 1896-08-20
UN|ONPAC|F|CRAILNAYSU SUED
Telegraph Operators Have a
Grievance.
SUBMITTED IN A PETITION
Wells Famous order of March
1894, Regarding the Wage Schedules.


welPs Famous Order of March,
1894, Regarding the Wage Schedules.
Omaha, Aug. lS.-A suit has been
filed in the United States circuit court,
which is likely to demonstrate just how
great permanent benefits the men on
the Union Pacific are to reap from the
famous wage schedule conference held
before Judge Caldwell on March 18,
1894. Among vhe other results of
this famous conference, in fact, the
result it was called to accomplish, was
the adoption of a wage schedule and
code of rules which was to govern the
relations of the men and the receivers.
Among the rules was one which pro.
vlded that no man should be discharged
without just cause, and another was
that the schedule of the pay fixed upon
at that time was not to be altered, ex-
cert by order CT the court. The men in
the telegraph branch of the service al
lege that both of these provisions have
been violated, and on this the issue
will be Joined in case which was filed
yesterday in the United States court.
In this case ]. T. Weybright, L. M.
Tuder, l.. Rosenbaum and N. A. Smith,
representing the Order of Railway Tel.
egraphers, members of the joint protec.
tive board of the employees of the Union
Pacific system, appear as plaintiffs.
The petition relterates the order as en-
tered by Judge Caldwell, at the con.
clusion of that hearing in March, 1894,
and the conference leading up to it,
Then they proceed to state that the fol.
lowing rates of pay for telegraphers
were fixed by that order: Rogers, $62
per month; Benton, $67; Aldas. $62;
Boone, $40; Rockville, $45. Without
notice to the men or to the court, and
in violation of that order, the petition
states the wages at these stations have
been reduced as follows: Rogers to
S35 per month; Benton, $25; Aldas,
$35; Boone, $25; Rockville, $25. They
petition the court that the wages of the
men be restored to the amount named
in the schedule, and that the difference
between the amount they have received
since the reduction be paid to them.
By far the most important portion of
the petition is contained in the next
paragraph. In it the petitioners al.
lege that the managing officials of the
company are hostile to organized labor,
and particularly to the Order of Rail
way Telegraphers, and that a system
attic effort has been made to weed out
the leaders in the oroer by summarily
discharging them without cause.
Among these are cited F. E. Gilliland
and F. R. Dresbach.
The telegraphers have another griev-
ance which will be brought to the at.
tention of the court in petition which
will be filed soon. 1t has been the Gus
tom of the Union Pacific for long
time to deduct from the pay of each
man on the system the sum of 40 cents
per month for the maintenance of hos
pitfalls on this system. The telegraphers
alleged that they receive no benefit
from the hospitals, except in case of
the very few who reside at the places
where they are maintained. They
complain they are not given an ac-
counting of the expenditure of the
money collected for this purpose from
the men, which they allege amounts to
300, 900 year, and that if they must
pay, they are entitled to know what
becomes of the money. They will also
allege in the petition that the at pres
ent time the Union Pacific does not
maintain any hospitals, simply having
the use of small number of cots in
hospitals conducted by private parties
or associations, and the expense at
tached thereto is not sufficient to war.
rant the collection of the amount of
money that is at present taken from the
employees.
NGI ICL TLIEE HADTIIDEH