The San Francisco call., 1904-04-15
Conferences To-Day Likely to Determine
Whether Men Will Strike
g
c.;

I points other than those affecting the
individual rights of the men.
After referring to the proposal is
sued by the United Railroads, which
sets forth the agreement the company
desires should become operative after
the expiration of the present agree
ment, which runs until May l, the
statement of the Garments Union sets
forth its contentious for fiat rate of
2715 cents an hour for employees In all
| departments coming under the Juris-
diction of the union; for a ten-hour
| day for the completion of 60 per
cent of the runs within eleven and
half hours time, and for the finish
ing of all runs in fourteen hours.
ATTITUDE ON DISMIsSALS.
Regarding the demand for the in
auguration of a system whereby en-
ployes will receive adequate protec-
ton from dismissal on unjust
grounds" the statement says:
The essence OF the company's objection TO
the arbitration proposition and the clause re-
quiring employees. after sixty days service, to
/ join the union is that compliance with these
clauses Involves surrender of the employer S
| right to manage his own business. and par
ticularly denies the employer the right OF
selection and dismissal"
As matter OF fact, the clauses embracing
these matters are. after all, the most i'm
| portant. both to the company and to the car
men, end among citizens generally there is
! probably a greater degree of interest centered
On the disposition of these sections than any
other feature of the entire controversy, con-
sequently il is important that the reasons for
the Incorporation OF these sections in the agree
ment submitted by the Garments Union be
1 fully understood. and the underlying motive
alyzed.
submitted by the union, the situation Is this
| The custom at present is for men who have
been suspended or discharged on charges that
are not justified by facts to report the matter
| to the executive board or the president business
agent OF the union. who investigate the case,
and. IL satisfied that an injustice has been
done the accused, the business agent prlnss
! the case before the general manager OF the
company and requests investigation Of the
accused employees defense and reversal or
the order of discharge or suspension In the
| United Railroads service there are from ten
i 10 twelve cases a week of this nature, and
two years experience has convinced the men
I that the system at present IN operation 10
| just dismissal discharge is failure, hence
| the effort TO establish more certain method
Of dealing out exact justice TO the employees
Time after time employees have been sus-
pended or summarily dismissed, and the formal
charges made against them could have been
/ IL the comDany's officials would have con-
sidered the evidence of the innocence OF the
accused brought forward. Again, men who
1 were active in union affairs have been singled
| out for severe discipline on what in many
instances were the himsest of pretexts, and
efforts to obtain Justice from the company 5
| officials failed absolutely. During the last
year five members of the executive board of
| the Carmen's Union were discharged on what
| their fellow-employes believe to have been
! trumped-up charges. To make, in open meet
| ins of the Carmen's Union. charges OF unfair
! treatment against division superintendent or
other official to criticize the policy or rules
| OF the company in matters pertaining solely
| to the conditions governing employment. has:
| time and again thanks to the operation of
the intelligence bureau maintained by the
company resulted in the ultimate discharge
| OF the man who had the temerity to speak
| the truth as he saw il. Latterly IL has been
/ declared a capital offense for men TO request
| new employees join the union, and. in one
| instance twenty-five men called before
/ a division Superintendent and told that they
must stop talking unionism" TO new men or
i suffer discharge