The Worcester spy. [volume] (Worcester, Mass.) 1898-1904, 1899-05-11
WANT PAY RAISED.
Consolidated Employ
es Sign a Pc
tition.
MUCH BITE NESS.
If Company Refuses the Re
quest a Strike May be
the Result.

Conductors and motormen on the
Worcester Consolidated street railway
have attached their names to a petition
asking for an increase of 20 cents per
day in their wages, and the document
win probably be placed in the hands of
President Francis H. Dewey of the cor
poration, today.
The conductors and motormen arenow
receiving S1.SO per day, and work seven
days in the week, thereby drawing
$3.50 for 80 hours work. For the past
three years the men have presented pc
titions for more pay, and they have
been turned down each time. This year
every regular car employee has signed,
and if the demand is ignored, some Of
the hot headed ones threaten a tie up.
There are 200 employees who are
working on regular cars, and they will
be backed UP by about 40 spare hands,
although only the regulars have signed
the petition. In former years there has
been no display of interest in the petit
tions, except by the leaders in the
movement, but at the present time ev-
cry man on the road is prepared for
battle.
A Spy man talked with members of
the Amalgamated Association of Street
Railway Employees of America, in
which body many of the men employed
on the Consolidated have membership.
One of them said:
THE feeling between the employees
and the corporation was never more
tinged with bitterness than at the pres
ent time. During the past winter there
have been several occasions where 1t
would taking little coaxing to have the
men out on strike. The uselessness of
action then was clear to old employees
and grievances We're allowed to melt
away, but they are renewed now.
Employees of the Worcester and SUI
burban road get 81 per day, but they
have to work 10 hours. We are willing
to work 10 hours a day, but we want
50 for it, and if the corporation insists
on nine hours, we will still hold out
Tor an increase of 20 cents day. When
q man goes to work for the Consolida-
ted, he has to buy everything but the
car he runs on. Switch chisels ere
bought by the men, and if we lose the
numbers on our caps we have to pay
for new ones
when a window is broken in ouI
l.
the man who did it, we have to pay fol
ii. Supt. Akarman has corner In the
brass button business at the car barns.
In his office is a miniature button store
and when q man needs brass buttons
he has to visit Mr.. AKarman III his
office and pony up dollar for a set.
Motormen and conductors say that
the work of the employees of the Su-
burban road is much lighter, and that
Co.. mr. n +
car on the rails, there is nothing to be
done. On the Consolidated the men
have to hustle more because the trips
are in the city and passengers are
many. Crossings have to be watched
and the chances of an accident are
greater
The conductors and motormen on The
Consolidated are divided into two
forces for day and night work. ms
night employees have three fours on
every afternoon, and they say tnal
since BAH games have been played al
the oval, they have had none OF tha'
time to themselves and have had nc
nav for giving the time to the corpora
lion. It is said that about 20 men, max
ino enployes sufficient for use on Il
cars. are kept at the car barn every
day when they have their three hours
off. Officials tell them that they map
be needed, but one OF the hlSh seiu -
terdav that they never had been cailet
upon, but still had to loaf three no III
around the barn. ~.
THE spare men are DISCONTINUED pc
cause they have reported at the cal
harm at 5 o'clock mornings End nave
had no work during the day one o
the snare men said that he reporter d
the barn every day for a week. ahI
during that time he was placed on Z
car for nearly an hour he Sol en-
for the trip. The spare men get l. Il
cents an hour and they want 20 ce ,ati'
because. they argue, that they get liLll
work and their services are az an"
HE as that of the regular hands
The spare men want the corporate an, ,.
ia adopt the method of advancing spar,
men that is In vogue on the Suo u , o,.i
road. where spare men get II IL cent
an hour for the first six months .
work and are then paid at me hou
rate Of the regulars. 49,. D ~
one Of the officers of the street III,
wav Mems association said i&st hls!l
that the refusal of the corpoEa.lio .l- -, =
pay 20 cents more per day might rS 1s'.,
in a strike, as the employees haa pee o.,a
assured by the national assoclatoll t-ie
they would be backed up II sueh
move.