The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1901-07-26
GO BACK IN SQUADS
OF THE SEABOARD
WITH ITS STRIKERS.
RESULT OF THE CONFERENCE.
STRIKERS DEMANDED THE DIS.
CHARGE OF NON-UNION MEN.

Have Been Taken on Last Night.
Six More Expected to Get Their
Jobs To-day and Six More To-
mOrrOw-Machinist Said the Adj
vance in Pay Would Mean About
$50 a Month to the Men-Trades
situation.
The Seaboard Air Line strikers did
not return to work yesterday morning.
The information that they would get
back to their jobs was from represen-
tatives of the railroads, who seemed
to think it matter of course that the
striking machinists would return to
work under the advance to 80 cents an
hour that had been agreed upon at the
| conference at Portsmouth between rep
resentatiVes of the strikers all over
the system and the general officials.
One. of the striking machinists was
seen yesterday about the situation,
which he discussed freely. While the
men had not then returned to work
he said they would do so, and the
Seaboard will be getting it's rolling
stock restored to it's former condition
very soon.
Our chairman, A. H. Cooper" said
| the machinist, returned to-day from
Portsmouth and had an interview with
| General Foreman Hill, who told him
that the men who got our places
would be discharged in order to make
room for us. We were holding back
for the result of this conference be-
| tween Cooper and the foreman, for we
were not going back to work with the
| non-union men who were taken in to
| fill the positions we left. That was
point we felt that we should insist up
on.
| THE foreman said that the work of
the non-union men was not altogether
| satisfactory He has authority to dis
| and he promised to do it. He could not
discharge them all at once,
though, and the union men
who went on strike will be
taken back gradually. Places will be
made for fifteen of them. Three will
go back tonight, six tomorrow and
six the day after.
| we inquire 1t LndU we VIII get ABOUT
| $25 a month more under the increase
in wages that the officials have grant
ed. We formerly received $2.75 for ten
hours work. Under the increase we
will get SO day, and 1t has been agreed
that we will get double pay for work
ing on Sunday and for every legal hol-
! iday in the year Where we made 500
a month before the strike, we will
make $125
| "a nG no. ny no OF 20 o,rf he
| percentage of apprentices. 1t has en-
| ployed so per cent. of apprentices, but
| this will be reduced to 40 per cent.
| The increased pay we receive is now in
effect. having started yesterday. We
are getting So a day, even if we are
not working. We are ready to work as
soon as they are ready for us.
lone great advantage the strike
| has been to us was the prevention
of the adoption of the piece work sys-
tenn by the company. We have been
reliably informed since the strike was
inaugurated that the company was
! just upon the point of beginning the
new system, which is held in abhor-
renee by the machinists. We don't
want 1t, for it does not pay us as much
as the time plan. If something we
fixed should happen to break, under
the piece work system, we would not
| get paid for it.
| ''The Seaboard needs it's old machin-
lists. We will go back and work our
best for the company, and there is
! great deal of work waiting for us.
There are thirty engines that need re-
pairs on them. and they can't be run
until they have been made. There is
| enough work there to keep the ma
| chinists at work day and night. A man
can get In all the time he can possibly
| stand. If he can bear UP under it, he
can work eighteen hours a day, for
| the machinery needs IL and the COM
pany will be glad to have its engines
fixed UP just as soon as possible.
During the strike the company has
been in pressing need of engines. 1t is
necessary for an engine to be worked
on after every trip, or something may
| break and smash things. When there
are no machinists, or manchinsts of
! an inferior sort, the work can't be
| done. A company can't borrow an en-
| CINE from another line when it's ma
chinists are on strike. Our union pre-
vents that. 1t did it in the case of the
Southern Railway. The Southern used
one of the Plant Systems engines not
long ago, and not a Plant System ma
| chinist would touch her when she came
back to the shops. They refused abso-
| lutely. The master mechanic and the
two general foremen had to do the
| work. l am glad the strike is over
| and hope we can keep on good terms
with the company"
A meeting of the Trades and Labor
Assembly was held last night. when
Delegate Cooper reported that salts
factory arrangements with the Sea-
board had been made. He said that
the men would return to work at
once. The assembly seemed to
think that the striking ma
chinists should and would do their best
work to show their appreciation of the
company's concessions.
The Seaboard force of extra police
men is still on duty. but IL has been
somewhat reduced. Still more of the
men will be turned off, it is reported,
as they were hired temporarily. Some
will be retained for the organization of
| a permanent yard force, il is said.