The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1906-11-11
swift CHMEN TO STAY
At WORK; NO STRIKE
PEACE AGREEMENT REACHED
YESTERDAY IN CHICAGO.
Railroads Grant Increase of 4 Cents an
Hour, and Menace of Walk Out Tying
Up Twin City Lines Is Removed
Credit Due to Minneapolis Men.
There will be no switchmen's strike

There will be no switchmen's strike
this year.
Frank T. Hawley, president of the
Switchmen's Union of North America,
telephoned from Chicago last night to
man of ) the lea adjusting dit committee, that
he had reached satisfactory agree
ment with the general managers Of the
roads involved.
The wages of all the men involved
will be advanced 4 cents an hour with
the exception of the night yardmas-
tiers, assistant yardmasters and switch
tenders, whose claim will be adjusted
Of a ten-hour day, day helpers will get
$500 day, day foremen $3.50, night
helpers $40 and night foremen 1910.
Overtime will be paid at the same
rate. These are substantially what
were asked by the switchmen in the
first instance, and the arrangement is
said to be satisfactory to the union.
Long Conferences. .---.:
For three weeks committee of sew
enty five, drawn from all parts Of the
country, with Robert J. Martin of Min
neapolis for its chairman, has been sit
ting in st. Paul and attempting to adj
Just all difficulties without calling a
strike. Last Wednesday strike ordex
was prepared but it was withheld at
the request of the general managers Of
dent Hawley met the general managers
in conference at Chicago and they drew
sage to Mr.. Martin was the first init
nation received here that what threat
ened to be the most serious strike in
the railroad history of the United
States had been averted. "" H.,
H for this s yGt0T y belongs tho to
cities,' said Mr.. Martin. last night.
"It was President Hawley's diplomacy
which brought about a meeting between
a subcommittee Of the s. U. N. A. ad-
iustment committee and sub-commit-
tee of the general managers in Chicago
last Tuesday, and it was from that
meeting that the agreement reached
lion IS share in this work, as It was
represented on this committee of six by
M. r. Carroll and myself. a @l..
This agreement means that all dan
ger of a strike is at an end. By it's
terms 1t can be changed only by mutual
agreement and cannot be terminated by
either party without thirty days. no.
tice. This notice clause means that in
any caes there must be a conference,
and our experience shows that a con-
ference is more likely to lead to an
agreement than a strike.
Never before has an employees Or
ganlzatlon been given the attention by
the railway officials of this country
that has been given to the Switchmen IS
, Union of North America. The doors of
the general managers have been open to
us at all hours and they have always
been ready to listen carefully to our
side of the case. This is something new
in the history of railroading.
Strike Order Was Ready.
For years the switchmen have been
looked upon as the most radical element
among railway employees, but I think
| that they have shown themselves in a
different light this time. Tho the boys
| In the yards were anxious to start
| something the middle Of the week, and
we had "a strike order ready Wednes-
| the general managers, on their state
ment that they still hoped to offer
terms satisfactory to us. The outcome
has more than justified our action.
managers and the switchmen Should
know how to get along together. lido
not think we will have any difficulty in
talking things over with them next
time. We certainly could. not have
| eIofAou 4Ol d AlOIc courteous ana rail-
consideration of our claims than we
received this time. The general man
ayers of the roads centering in the twin
cities have always been ready and will
ing to talk matters over with their EN-
ployees. and it is largely thru them that
we got on so we'll with the others. That
is another reason why the twin cities
should be given a lot of credit for the
conclusions Of this difficulty without
strike. .r,'E - :
"Had there been a strike, it would
have tied up every line of Importance
In the country. One of-the genera
managers said to me in the Chicago
conference last Tuesday: Il tell you
Bob. If this comes to strike it will
make '94 look like a nine-spot.' HI
was right. - -.
This averts the threatened switch
mems strike: President Hawley will
return to Minneapolis Tuesday to at
tend the meetings of the American Fed
GRAFTON of Labor. -. 49,
"a