The Minneapolis journal., 1903-03-09
THE ANSWER !
OF THE UNIONS
What the Wabash Employees
Against Making the Strike In &
: junction Permanent.
A Quiet, but Comprehensive, Denis
of the Charges Made by
the Railroad.
Attempts to Have Grievance Righted
Have Not Been Net in the
Proper Spirit.

Have Not Been Met In the
Proper Spirit.
st. Louis, March 9.-The trainmen and
fremen of the Wabash road having made
certain demands which were refused by
the road an order for a strike was Styens
Before this strike could take place, ths
road obtained temporary injunction in
the federal court to prevent the men from
interfering with interstate traffic by strike
ing.
This injunction the road asked the court
to make permanent and it was on this
point that argument was Joined. Follow
ing is a synopsis of the answer of the
men filed against the Wabash Injunction In
the United States court to-day:
The Mems Grievances
The answer as filed is "a joint and sew
eral answer Of all the defendants namak
in the bill of complaint and against which
the injunction issued. It is specific
denial that the Wabash railway was ever a
union or brotherhood road and also deny-
ing that the brotherhood of railway trains
ment and the brotherhood OF locomtivs
fremen, the organizations involved in this
proceeding, ever made any demand or att
tempt to compel the Wabash railway to
place any restrictions upon its employees as
or union. It specifically denies that such
organization ever participated in any way
in the Pullman palace car strike in 1894,
and admits that the Wabash railway COM
pany never made any distinction in the
selection Of it's employees as to whether
they were members Of any brotherhood
or union. It specifically denies all alle-
cations that the Wabash Railway CONS
pany ever had any complaint respecting
wages and rules regulating their employ
ment in their respective service since 1884,
but states the facts to be that the em-
ployes have FOR years had grievances with
respect to the amount OF wages paid and
the rules and regulations governing the
service of their employees and that this
controversy arises not only from COM
plants of members of the respective
brotherhoods, but from the ranks of the
employees not members and that the efforts
on the part Of the grievance COMMITTEES
! and the officers of the brotherhoods are as
representative of over 1920 employees OF
| the Wabash Railway company, engaged
as switchmen, brakemen and hremen.
! Road Refused to Discuss Grievances
| The answer states that the several em-
ployes have frequently presented their.
grievances to the Wabash officials for
adjustment and that the officers have per-
sistently refused to take up or discuss
such grievances during the past few years
or make any reasonable permanent rules
4 or regulations governing the service, and
| that this continued vaccilatfng policy fn-
ally eliminated in presenting the griey-
ances and complaint to the several boards
| Of adjustment and grievance committees
of the two labor organizations.
The first presentation of complaints
was made about four months ago and
| committees have been in st. Louis en-
| deavoring to take these matters up with
Joseph Ramsey, Jr., Of the Wabash Rail
| oil hot ind md
have been granted brief interviews only
about three different times and at each
| interview they were put off by some all
legged excuse and were compelled to leave
without any satisfaction.
i Denial of Conspiracy, Etc.
! The defendants deny that the labor orr
CARNATIONS have unlawfully conspireds
combined or confederated to force the
/ complainant to recognize such organiza-
tion as representing and controlling its
employees and deny that any demand has
been made to compel the Wabash railroad
lines to become and be operated as ex-
clusively union or brotherhood roads. It
Is denied that any attempt or demand has
ever been made to prevent the Wabash
from dealing with Its employees in respect
to any difference Or controversy, or from
adjusting any differences or controversy
directly with the employees. It is denied
that any demand or attempt has been
made by either Of the labor organizations
to employ exclusively such persons as are
members of said organizations or that said
organizations in any way attempted to
induce or compel the said employees of the
Wabash engaged in the operation Of its
| trains as fremen or SWitchmen to quit its
service in violation of any contract or
. agreement of employment or in violation
Of any agreement or that any Of the de-
r PENDANTS unlawfully conspired to interiors
! with or prevent the operation of Wabash
!. trains prevent that railroad from caf-
rying out any Of it's contracts with ships
pers or in any way to prevent the COM
plainant affording reasonable facilities for
the interchange Of traffic.
!, It Is denied that the defendants In any
: manner attempted to conspire to prevent
connecting lines of railways from inter.
changing traffic, as required by the inter
a state commerce act, and as required by its
, alleged agreements.
Il It is denied that the defendants COM
bined to compel the Wabash to violate the
Interstate commerce act, or from prevent.
ing the Wabash from carrying mails, o1
to obstruct the Wabash in the discharge ol
: it's duty as common carrier.
1t is denied that the Wabash will hi
l subjected to a multiplicity of suits and
prosecutions by reason OF any act on thu
part Of the defendants. :
The defendants deny that w. G. Lee
P. II. Morrissey, T. r. Dodge, c. NJ Wat.
k1nS, OF any representatives OF the Broth.
erhood Of Locomotive Firemen unlawfuliy
! and maliciously conspired to induce sew.
. eral hundred Of the employees Of the Wa,
: bash to become members of said oreaniza
tion, but state that they have invited AMI
, requested certain Of the employees to be
: come members of their organizations fo
the purposes as set out in the constitutio,
and bylaws. They deny that this wa,
> malicious or the result Of any conspiracy
They deny that they would order AM
require the employees of the complainant t,
. strike and quit the complainant's servic,
and tie up the complainant's lines or en-
o force such strike by preventing said EN-
: pioyes from returning to work. or other,
: from taking their places, or preventing it
a connecting lines and their employees from
!, interchangfng traffic through intimidation
r fear, coercion or other unlawful means
Il These defendants further deny all charge
! whatsoever of unlawful conspiracy, com
: binations, considerations or other unlawfu
d contriving together whatsoever.
n It is denied that the defendants repre-
: sented to certain of the Wabash employe,
b that they would get an increase Of wage;
for them, but admit that they representa-
IS to the complainant that many. Of its EN-
IS lployes were dissatisfied with the amour
a / of wages paid to them and with the rule
'. and regulations governing their employ
d lment, but state the fact to be that q
IS the request of many of the Wabash enl
lployes, they had been endeavoring for