The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1903-03-04
STRIKE AVERTED
BY INJUNCTION
Employees of Wabash Railroad
Restrained by Courts
WAGE REQUEST is REFUSED
TraInmen say They VIII Bow In Sub
mission to the Law, But Will
Contest the Proceedings
to the End.
WAGE REQUEST is REFUSED

St Louis, Mo-, March 3-An injunction
granted by Judge Adams of the United
States District court prevented the cui-
mination today of the threatened strike
of the HOO firemen and trainmen of the
Wabash railroad for higher wages. As the
result of the poll during the past week
among the employees, over the question OF
striking in case President Ramsey ulti-
mately refused to grant demanded wage
concessions on the Wabash east of the
Mississippi river, the engineers and con-
ductors refused to participate in strike,
but the firemen and trainmen favored 1t
emphatically. Their committees yesterday
notified President Ramsey that he would
be given until today at noon to grant
their demands. If by that time he still re-
fused, strike would be called.
This evening President Ramsey re-
quested a little more time and the two
committees granted him until s o'clock
to make final reply. Before the allotted
time had expired, President Ramsey had
secured restraining order from the court
and it had been served on all the officials
of all the orders and members of the
grievance committees. The injunction was
a most sweeping instrument and effeotu-
ally blocked any strike proceedings In
part 1t reads:
Sweeping Injunction
1--WE therefore do strictly command you,
until the further order of the court, abso-
lutely to desist and refrain from In any
way or manner ordering, coercing, per-
suading, inducing or otherwise causing.
10 of
said Wabash Railroad company to strike
or quit the service of said company"
The injunction Is temporary and these
writs are not made returnable. The per-
sons against whom the injunction is is
sued may appear In court at any time and
present a plea to have the injunction dis
solved, or if no one asks that it be dis
solved it may be made permanent. Mean
time the grievance committee had pre-
pared and submitted to President RAM
sey a letter setting forth the increase
concessions they desired. It was soon af-
ter the delivery of this letter to President
Ramsey that the injunction was served
Shortly after o'clock, two hours after
the injunction proceedings, President
Ramsey sent to the grievance committees
his reply to their letter, practically re-
jecting all their demands. Before leaving
his office to go home he said he did not
believe a strike would be brought about. |
The committees of firemen and train
men met and talked over the situation
this evening and then dispersed for the
night. Grand Master Morrissey of the
Brotherhood of Railway Trainmen said
after the meeting tonight:
Not Ready to Act.
I'VE have decided to make no move
until after a consultation with our attor-
neys. This consultation will be held to-
morrow morning"
Mr.. Morrissey, in signed statement,
said that nothing will be done in violation
of the injunction, and that the dissatis-
fled employees would bow in submission to
the law. Grand Chief p. M. Arthur of the |
Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers ar |
rived here today. He asserted that he was |
en- route to Houston, Tex, and had mere |
ly stopped off here and had no connec-
tion whatever with the Wabash trouble. |
The signed statement of Mr.. Morrissey
is In part as follows:
1.-THE firemen and trainmen employed on |
the Wabash system, by a decisive vote, |
authorized the committees representing |
than and the officers of their organiza- |
uNss to declare strike if the wage |
s,siee and other working conditions which /
they had presented to the management !
were not granted. This course was de- |
cided upon only after every other honor |
able method to induce the company to
give them deserved consideration had
failed. !
VIII Not Violate Law.
ITO prevent them from carrying out
their determination to defend their posi-
tion In a proper and legal way, the COM
pany applied to and was granted an in
junction by Judge Adams of the United
States court for the eastern district of |
Missouri restrained the organization,
their officers, the committee and all con-
cerned from directly or indirectly sane
tionng the procedure agreed upon by the
employees themselves. To this command
as law-abiding citizens and organizations,
we bow in submission. We respect it be- |
cause we recognize that until dissolved
1t is the law, but we will contest the |
proceeding to the end.
After President Ramsey learned that |
the injunction had been served he said: |
We will go on dealing with our own en-
ployes the same as usual. This order bus
mess will not affect them at all. If a |
strike takes place 1t will be due to out
side interference. The order is meant to
restrain others on the outside from in
terfering with our employees or of or
dering a strike. 1t was outside influences
that caused dissenson. The, employees
of the Wabash were satisfied and would
have remained satisfied if left to their
own accord