The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1902-10-24
DEMAND A SHARE
OF THE PROFITS
Southern Pacifi; Employees Are
Prepared to Strike.
OTHER ROADS ARE INVOLVED
CoGENT REASONS GIVEN FOR
THE PROPOSED ACTION.


|. TO the interviews obtained today
by a Tribune reporter with the
heads of railroad unions ana the union
members there viii be a demand upon
the Southern Pacific within the next
thirty days for increased wages, which
viii affect upward of 10000 of its en-
ployes. Both the men and union Of
fcials are loath to speak of their plans
and purposes. They say that a prema-
ture publication of their demands and
the methods of procedure may defeat
the purpose they have in view.
For that reason they would rather
not talk, but when pressed to either
confirm or deny the published state
ments that a concerted demand was be-
ing made not only upon the Southern
Pacific company, but upon twenty-five
other railroads west of Chicago for in
creased wages, II was admitted that
such was the case.
Have Been Preparing.
During the last six months the mem
bership of one union organization alone
has increased over Ice per cent. That
organization is the United Brotherhood
of Railway Employees. Six months ago
there were only 5000 members of that
organization in the employ of the
Southern Pacific system. Today there
are over $1,000 members. This member
ship does not include the thousands of
railroad men employed on twenty-five
other roads that are involved in the
present movement. In Sacramento the
Brotherhood of Railway Engineers has
a membership Of 500. In san Francisco
the membership is 1000 and in Oakland
$50.
Each OF the seven divisions is well
| represented in the order. The brother
hood does not include all of the organi-
| cations, The engineers, conductors.
brakemen. switchmen. firemen. boiler
makers, car men. machinists and
bridgemen all have separate organiza-
tions, but all are eligible 70 membership
/ in the brotherhood.
Employees in Line.
| 1t is estimated that before the first
of the year that on the Southern Pa
| cific system alone there will be $4,000
members. In the state OF California
/ there are 1900 employees of the vari-
/ Gus roads who belong to unions. 1t is
said that these men are supporting
I each other as well as the organizations
/ in the eastern states. All of the 1900
men in California either have de-
manded or will demand increased
wages of the Southern Pacific company.
The cause of the demands being
made, briefly stated, is the increased
cost of living. The men claim that
! they are paying 80 10 40 per cent more
/ for house rent and the necessaries OF
! life. Their wages. they say. have not
! been increased proportionately and that
/ il is harder to support family now
/ than IL was four years ago.
! They also recite that all the railroads
| are doing from one-fourth 10 one-third
more business now than formerly and
that their profits are correspondingly
/ larger.
Proving Their Case.
The third reason assigned by the men
| for wanting better wages is that owing
10 the heavier equipment in use by
| nearly all the railroads the train crews
| and all employees connected with this
| department are compelled to DO more
| work than formerly.
| To make good their assertions that
| the cost of living is higher and that
/ the railroads are making more money
| than ever before, the executive commit
tees appointed over year ago have
| compiled exhaustive statistics. The cost
of food. wearing apparel house rent
4 and other neCeSSaries for a period of
six years are tabulated for the benefit
| of the heads of the railroads. Stats
I ties showing the exact cost of operation
/ per mile of the railroads and the exact
4 profit reaped by the companies for each
| mile have been prepared. The increased
profits will be made the basis of the
increased demands.
! Nothing Made Public.
New York. Oct. GA meeting of the
directors of the Union Pacific company
was held ar the offices Of the company
here today and the demands of the
| trainmen who have threatened TO strike
were considered. Nothing was made
public as to what. if any, action had
been decided upon.