The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1903-06-11
UNION GOT BACK AT GILLIGAN.
ELEVATED GUARD OFF THE RUN
HE'S HAD FOR 20 YEARS.
Wouldn't Use His Influence ~ Head Of
Beneht Society TO Boost the Union
They Got Rule Made That IOses Him
the Job on the Grand Central Train.


They Got Rule Made That IOses Him
the Job on the Grand Central Train.
A GOOD many OF the commuters accis-
toned to patronize the shuttle train on
Forty-seoond street from the Grand Central
Station stopped on their way to work yester-
day morning long enough to shake hands
and bid good-by to John Giligan, the
conductor OF the train, who for twenty years
has been taking people to and from the big
station and seeing that they did not miss
their trains.
When the commuters heard yesterday that
Giligan, on account Of new rule Of the
company, was going to leave the shuttle
service to-day and go back TO the main line.
where life is q good deal more strenuous.
good many felt as badly about IT as
Glligan does himself.
Gillgan says that It is because he refused
to join the union OF the employees organized
| last spring that he has to leave his old
friends. The leaders told him, he says,
| that because OF that refusal he would be
of the shuttle" in a few months, and,
sure enough. Gilligan goes back to-day
to an ordinary run on the main line, which
he left twenty years ago when Gen. Win
slow, then In charge OF the road. gave MIN
the charge Of the shuttle. =.
This is because Of rule which the COM
pany made at the unions demand. that the
oldest employees should get first pick ,s OF
| the runs. That was just the plan the union
adopted to get rid of him. Gilligan says
| Gilligan has been in the employ OF the
| elevated road for twenty-five years. In
his leisure hours he has studied law and
s tss eyenss a. he member MeM oe Of
the bar, with desk in an Office at 1853 Broad
| way
Almost every one Of the 5000 employees
of the big system knows Gilligan. and there
were few more popular men IN the service
ployees was made by Herman Robinson
Four years ago the men elected Gilhgan
president OF the Trainmen's Relief Associ.
alton. benefit society, and he has held
the Office ever since
The first man that Robinson and Pepper,
who was afterward elected president OF
the union called on was Gilligan, because
he was pres dent OF the benefit organiza-
ton, which included nearly every employee
of the road.
Join the new union" said Gilligan yesterday.
@Not only that, but they want ed me. as
pre- .ident OF our benefit organization. that
never had anything to do with strikes or
grievances, TO advise the men TO Join. and
E nt Sh GomH I3as them to- But they o'oh
'Gentlemen,VI says, I believe in free
dom. I believe every man has right to
cut on his own slice Of bread. ! don't be-
leve in unions, and I don't propose to ask
the employees Of his road to give up t'eir
freedom
IAN right says the organizers, vel
shuttle and doing the sandwich act again
in the rush hours. Wen see that the COM
pany gives this place to an older man.
We'll. that's all there is to 1t. I'm on
the shuttle tomorrow because the company
did yield to the union and adopted the
rule that the runs should be picked, be-
ginning with the oldest employee. There's
few ahead of me and, OF course, one OF
them picked this run. 80 John Gi!llgan.s
got to lose sight Of his friends. This amt
any oinch job, but I've been running here
30 long that I'm kind Of stuck on it,
Supt. Frank Hedley Of the Interborough
company now running the elevated roads
said yesterday that the rule which goes
in force to-day had been one OF the demands
made by the men to which the company
strike.
This rule" said he, will mean a read
justment OF the entire service. because
hereafter the employees, beginning with
the one who has been longest in the service.
are allowed to pick their runs. There are
some men, for instance, who have been
conductors twenty-eight years, and they
get the first pick. One Of them has picked
Gilligan's run. We regard the rule as
just, and while it is true it was one OF the
demands OF the union, yet the new man
agement would probably have adopted it
anyway"