Perth Amboy evening news. [volume] (Perth Amboy, N.J.) 1903-1959, 1906-12-20
YARD AND HARBOR EMPLOYEES
IN NEW YORK THREATEN STRIKE
Unless Demands Of 5000 Men
Are Granted on Satur-
day Men Will Go Out.
SERIOUS TlE-UP THREATENED.


NEW YORK, Dec. 20:--All the
railroads involved in the demand for
five cents an hour advance to their
yard conductors and brakemen In
the switching district of New York
harbor have until Saturday to grant
the demands, failing which a general
strike of the 1000 men will go into
effect at once.
The roads affected are the Erie,
Pennsylvania, the Lackawanna, New
Jersey Central, Baltimore & OHIO
and the Lehigh Valley.
The decision to order the strike
was reached yesterday by James Muir
dock, fourth vice grand master Of the
Brotherhood of Railway Trainmen,
who arrived here from Cleveland yes
terday as representative of the
grand lodge. 1t is necessary for a
strike to be legal that it should be
sanctioned by Grand Master P. Fl.
Morrisey or some other representa-
tive of the grand lodge. This for
mality was attended to by Fourth
Vice Grand President Murdock.
Went Into Conference.
AS soon as Murdock arrived hf
went into conference with the COM
mittees of the men in the various
yards, resulting in the issuing of the
following ultimatum which was sent
last night to the general managers OF
M 10 inu In he q
which is over the question of l cent
an hour, except in the case of the
Long Island and Staten Island roads,
where it is cents an hour:>
Again referring to the negotiations
between yourself and the committee
representing your employees, yardmer
in the New York harbor district, we
respectively beg to advise you thai
the cents an hour increase Offered
by your company is not acceptable
as a settlement and has been made
with the New York Central for {
cents an hour increase Your ward
men employed in the New York har
Dor district and those employed b!
the New York Central have hereto
fore been on an equal basis as re
CARDS the rate of pay per hour. W.
believe this equality should still con
tinue to exist.
We beg to advise you that unles.
the increase granted by the New
York Central, namely, 5 cents pc!
hour, effective December 1, 1906, /.
conceded by your company on or be
fore December %, 1906, that al
members of the Brotherhood of Rail
road Trainmen employed In your
yards in the harbor district will con.
slider your failure to cpncede the rate
as a refusal to deal as fairly with
your men as the road mentioned
above, and will at once withdraw
from your service.
Vote TO Strike.
The vote to strike was taken sew
eral days ago, but it was necessary
that 1t should receive the sanction
of Grand Chief P. H. Morrisey or a
member of the grand lodge deputed
by him before the strike could be Of
fetal. This condition has been full
filled by the action of the fourth vice
grand master.
The strike, If it comes, will affect
5000 men and completely tie up
traffic on all the terminals affected.
1t will be serious blow to the
Christmas trade il the strike is al
lowed to go on, and at present, as
the railroad terminals are congested
with cars loaded with merchandise
the strike would also delay shippine
and cause a great deal of distress be.
fore the places of the strikers could
be filled.
The whole dispute is over one cent
an hour, except in the case of the
Staten Island and Long Island roads,
where the difference Is over two
cents an hour, There is a possibil-
ity that before the ultimatum goes
into effect both sides will agree to
refer the matter to arbitration.
Grand Master Morrisey is a member
of the national executive committee
of the Civic Federation, as is also
President F. d. Underwood, of the
Erie railroad.
For some days the officials OF the
roads against which the ultimatum is
directed had expected TO hear from
Grand iIaster Morrisey. Fhey had
for the last two days been non COM
initial on the question of arbitration,
though it was stated officially on their
behalf that the advance they offered
was final No preparations, 1t was
stated, had been made for q strike.
though il was admitted that the situ-
alton was serious.