The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1902-09-13
Railway Trainmen of the Middle
\ West Are Preparing Demands
on Railroads.
Grievance Committees of Their I'm
ions Will Meet in Chicago First
Week in October.
Western Men, They Say, Do as Much
Work as Fasteners and
Get Less for It.,

Better wages and better hours are to be
demanded by the trainmen OF the middle
west. The Brotherhood of Railway
Trainmen and the Order Of Railway Con-
ductors are behind the movement and
have so far perfected their plans, accord
ing to authoritative statements, that
meeting Of committees has been called
to meet in Chicago the first week IN Oc-
tober to formulate demands.
1t is asserted with great poSltivenesS
that if the demands are not granted @
strike tying up the train service Of the
entire north middle west will follow.
The members of the grievance COM
mittees Of the Brotherhood Of Railway
Trainmen and Order Of Railway Con-
ductors will meet In Chicago the first
week In October to formulate demands
upon the railroads between Chicago and
the Missouri river and Chicago and the
twin cities.
The demands have not yet been forrnu
lated, it having been left with the griev-
ance committees to state them. In gen.
eral, however, the railroads will be asked
to place their employees on a par with
the trainmen east Of Chicago
The movement toward better wages and
better hours Is not confined to the con-
ductors and brakemen. In fact, it is said
that the engineers and firemen are the
chief compliments.
Canvass Of Unions.
Representatives Of the unions are now
In the west bringing into line local unions
not in the agreement. When the COM
plants are formulated they will be backed
by no less than 100000 engineers, fire
men, conductors, brake1nen, switchmen
and shopmen. The movement represents
enough employees Of the railroads to par
alyze business completely between Chi
cago and the Missouri river and Chicago
and the twin cities If a strike Is asked.
The leaders say that for the first time
they are prepared to cope with the organ
izations of capital.
The demands will nrst be made Of the
Chicago Missouri river railroads, and will
include the Burlington, Rock Island,
North Western, Milwaukee, Illinois Cen
trail and Great Western systems. Smaller
lines in the same territory may be in
cluded, but they are not as yet in the
lists.
Engineers Complaint.
The complaint Of the engineers and fire
men, who are believed by the unions to
have the strongest case, is that. the con-
ditions have so changed since the last
general revision Of wages in this terri
tory, ten years ago, that the responsibility
has been almost entirely shifted from con-
ductors and brakemen to engineers and
flremen. Ten years ago, when 1t was
wanted to stop a train the conductor sig
nailed a brakeman, who turned on the
hand appliances and if any accidents hap
pened, the conductor. was responsible
Now the engineer stands at the valve OF
the air-brakes and assumes this entire
responsibility, together with that of run
ming his train according to schedule and
keeping within orders.
The complaint Of the conductors and
brakemen Is based on the fact that since
the last revision the western lines have
been put upon a par with the eastern
roads. They are hauling more and longer
trains at greater speed. In spite Of this
the eastern train men are paid much bet
ter wages than the employees Of the west
ern roads.
The Chicago Minneapolis roads are to be
included in the demands but the Mis-
souri, river lines will be the first to be
approached. The unions do not believe
there will be any strike. They think
that when the railroads find how extern
sive and comprehensive is the movement
among the employees, they will allow the
claims without making any trouble.