New-York tribune., 1900-05-03
AGREEMENT AT BUFFALO.
NEW-YORK CENTRAL SETTLES THE CAR
REPAIRERS' GRIEVANCES.
MUTUAL CONCESSIONS MADE AND THE
RATE OF PAY INCREASED

Buffalo, May Am amicable adjustment Of
Car Repairers' Association employees of the New
York Central Railroad and Superintendent Watt.
of the motive power department. who repre-
sented the company. was concluded at ESQ
o'clock tonight after conference which was
nearly continuous from II O'Clock this morning
until that hour.
The agreement reached was ratified at joint
meeting of the strikers tonight. far as it
relates to their own grievance. The reservation
made by the Central that they would
not return to work until the car repairers on
the other lines who struck either in sympathy
or on Independent grievances shall have ar
ranged with their employers TO resume their
former places.
The roads which the repairers inspectors,
etc. have struck out of sympathy for the Cen
trails men are the Delaware. LaCkawanna and
Western. Lehigh Valley and Nickel Plate.
On the Western New-York and Pennsylvania
and Erie the men have made demands for an in
crease of wages. The grievance of the former
road was of long standing. but that of the Erie
only presented, and their men went out to-
day. The men of the Western NewYork and
Pennsylvania struck Monday
The session between the joint Executive Com
mittee of the car repairers and Superintendent
Watt was a dignified discussion of issues. in
which it appears the best of temper prevailed.
The Central according to Superintendent Waitt,
carried out it's declared policy to deal not only
justly but literally with it's employees. but
strongly emphasized its determination to sustain
its officers in the exercise of discretion in the
employment of men and the reduction of forces
when the demands shall so require
The men claim that the wage question was ad-
justed substantially according to their demands,
which were 22 cents an hour for carpenters and
painters. 22la cents for machinists, II cents for
pipe filters 20 cents for tinsmiths. IL cents for
blacksmiths and 500 month for airbrake in
spectors The company, the strikers declare.
conceded these rates with the exception of the
carpenters who will receive 21 cents an hour;
mechanics who will receive - cents, and the
air brake inspectors, who will receive So % a
month.
At the conclusion of the conference Superin-
tendent Watt dictated a statement to the Asso-
ciated Press representative as follows:
I'VE have had an all day session without words
or feeling | met the men behalf OF the COM
pany with the idea of frankly going over the
entire situation in detail, and prepared TO carry
out our previously outlined policy
Superintendent Watt here quoted from the
statement given out in New-York on Monday
which was in effect that the New-York Central
intended TO deal not only justly but literally
with it's employees on the subject OF wages
and. although it had Increased the standard
of pay within sixty days 1t was VIKING 10 take
up the question of wages. He continued as fol-
lows:
THAT question was taken up and everything
was discussed, and mutual concessions were
made, the rate of pay chat the company agreed
to give the being more liberal than that or
any other company in this part of the country
In some cases the rate of increase over the
original pay previous TO March l6 is in the
vicinity of 10 per cent. In other cases 1t Is only
10 or II per cent. 1t was clearly understood be-
tween myself and the committee that the COM
pany would always be ready to give hearing
to any committee OF its employees that the men
might select any grievance that may arise
If at such meeting they wish to have an ad-
visor who is employe there Will be no
objection to that, but the company Will deal
with it's employees directly.
1T was also understood that the officers or
the company alone must decide as TO the men
that are employed and the methods that must
be used in reducing expenses. That could not
be delegated to any outside party.
The indications are that this conference VIII
result in the speedy settlement of the con-
troversy, and | think the men will return to work
within the next forty-eight hours