Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1905-01-19
NO AGREEMENT
Reached Between Train
men and Railroad Co.
Neither Side Willing to Concede
Particle.
1865 Railroad Trainmen Vote to Strike
to Enforce Demands.

Philadelphia, Jan. 1S.-After pro-
prutracted conference, late today.
General Manager w. w. Atterbury of
the Pennsylvania Railroad Co. ana
the board Of adjustment of the Broth
er hood OF Railway Trainmen separated
without having reached an agreement.
W. q. Lee, first vice grand master Oh
the brotherhood, who represents the
grand lodge, ana is acting in conJuhc-
ton with the board, Informed MI. Al
terbury that he regarded any 1urtHei
conferences useless. He then calleu
meeting of the board of adjustment
for tomorrow morning. when. II IS eX-
pected final action will be taken re-
earding the differences between the
company and the trainmen.
Mr. Lee, shortly before noon. today,
completed the count of the vote of the
Brotherhaad on the question of 4
strike To enforce the trainmens de-
mand He requested an audience With
General Manager Atterbury, who re-
ceived him and the other members of
the board. Mr.. Lee informed Mr.. At
terbury that the total vote canVaSsed
was 1876 ANA that $500 had been east
in favor of a strike, and Gil against.
OF the total number 1900 are members
of the brotherhood and the remainder
are nOn-or,ler men who for various
reasons. such as time of service and
injuries. are prevented from being
members of the union. These men
We're also permitted to vote and only
"a expressed opposition to Il strike.
Should Il strike be declared by the
board, tomorrow. it will affect freight
brakemen. yaldlmen, baggage men and
so.ne of the freight conductors on the
lines east of Pittsburg and Erie.
At the conclusion of the conference.
| tonight. General Manager Atterbury
| declined to see newspaper reporters,
but sent word from his office that he
might make a statement at some other
time.
The question at issue is that of COM
pulSCry firing by brakeman. The COM
pany requie s Il freight brakeman to
| assist firemen in feeding locomotives
| on difficult grades. The vote was con-
| fined entirely to this question.
Mr.. Lee in stating the trainmen's
| side of the case, said:
"No other railroad company in this
| country or Canada has ever asked Il
| brakeman to fire a locomotive. ON all
other lines firemen and brakemen are
| carried in separate lists. 1t is the de
| sire of the brotherhood men that they
be kept in separate classes.
~ he whole trouble originated in the
| laying off Of Il forward brakeman on
each crew by the Pennsylvania Rail-
| road some months ago. Before that
| time the company'S freight crews gem
| orally consisted of one or more brake
men than the number carried by 9TH
| err railroads. When that was the case
| the trainmen made no objections to the
| practice of the front brakeman assist
! ing the firemen, but when the extra
brakeman was taken off the men raised
serious objection to it. 1t is true that
| General Manager Atterbury made GER
tain propositions, one of which that
brakcmen doing tiremen's work on slip
ulatad grades should be paid fire
mans wages for the time they We're
| actually engaged in firing.
"AIr. AtterDury'S offer to pay the eX-
ira wage for such times as firing was
done on the middle division from flar-
risburg TO Altoona would net them hut
| Il small money return. not over Sl.oo per
month i'm many cases
Mr.. Lee said it was not question of
remuneration, but that the brhkemen
were unwilling to perform the duties of
| another class, except in some eXtraor-
| binary emergency.
| General Manager A:terbury ut l'F'
o'clock tonight. issued the following stat"'
mont as a general notice to trainmen:
Certain matters relating to the duties
of employees in the train service have beer
| the subject Of discussion between the
committee representing the tri'inmtn ana
myself At a meeting with the commit
fec on Jan. :. 1905. ] submitted a propo
sition that / would not require the brake
men to fire except on such divisions as IN
the Judgment of the division snprrntcn
dent it may from time to time seem neces-
sarv to give the firemrn some assistance,
the amount of such assistance 20 be de-
cided by the division superintendent ana
to be between specified points. Between
these points and for the time they are re
ouircd to fire. the brakemen will he paid
the same rate per hour as the hremcn
| II requested the committee to submit
the proposition in the circular which |
was informed was to be issued. but my
request was denied. / was informed that
a circular had been prepared, was III
print and ready for distribution among
tho trainmen.
Il am convinced that many Of our en-
ploycs are not informed as ITO the reaf
question at issue and that the case was
not fully presented to them.
The circular to the trainmen calling for
a vote introduces the question of reduc
: ing the number of brakemen which WAS
not in controversy, and ignored the prop
osition which | requested the committee
to submit.
Officials of the Pennsylvania road, at
midnight, expressed the belief that there
will he no strike. They felt that the diff
ferences between the company and the
men will be settled without resort to OK
IRENE measures.
EMPLOYEES UNION MEN.