The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1909-12-01
SVITCHnEN Strike
IN The northwest
Two Thousand Three Hundred
Hen and Thirteen Railroads
Are Involved.
WILL Bb SERIOUS UNLESS
SETTLEMENT Is SPEEDY
Both Railroad Managers and
Union Leaders Issue State
meat to Public.

ST. PAUL. Mimi, Nov. 30.--Aftcr
fifteen days of negotiation between tho
Switchmcn s Union of North America
aud ihe joint committee of railroad
managers representing thirteen rail
roads OF tho northwest. 4 strike
involving 1900 switchmcn became cf-
fcctrve AT 8 o clock tonight.
The men arc. employed by railroads
running west and north of -. Paul.
from Lake Superior to the Pacific coast,
and unless speedily settled. tlSc strike
VIII mean serious interruption of
traffic
The first effect of tho strike was \
sharp buige in the price of wheat in the
Chicago grain market late today. Roads
entering the Twin Cities and Duluth
and Superior arc largely grain-carTiers
from the west Tonight both sides 90
the dispute issued statements. The
railway managers committee issued the
following:
Tho Railroad Side,
''To the Public:
''Thc railroads Of the northwest, rec
o9nizirg that The public is an inter
csted. but unrcprcsentcd third party
IN the controversy with their switch
mon, through the committee which has
been conducting their negotiations, dc
sire 10 place at the disposal OF the pub
lIc the following facts in connection
with the negotia hons:
'The switcbmcn In the northwest
territory made Simultaneous demands
on thirteen railroad companies ceuter-
ing 10 the Twin Cities for an increase
in wages and certain changes in ser
vice conditions At the suggestion of
f. J. il2wlcy. president of the Switch
men s Union Of North America, of
whose organization the switchmeD IN
the northwest arc members, arrange
mcuts were made 10 conduct the nego.
tiations m ono conference.
In the conference the rallroa is were
represented by ? conmiftce of tcn man
ayers and the swiichmen by Y. I. llav'
ley and by other officers Of the Switch.
mon 5 Union Of North America.
Switchmon s Demands
.'Tbe demands of the switchmeu were
for double pay for SUNDAYS, holidays
aud overtime; an advance of % cents
per day Of ten bours in the wages of
switchmeB. sWItch-tendcTs. towermcn,
engine bcrcers and assistant yardm3s-
ters; modification of the rule provid-
ipg for the payment Of penalty in case
Of failure TO permit switchmen 10 Sc
cure their meals in the middle Of their
shift at a stated period. which coutcm.
plates double pay IN cases where 1t be.
came necessary 10 work portion Of
he meal hour: and the elimination of
Inc physical examination and the age
limit placed upon switchmcn entering
the service.
Many Conferences Held.
Five conferences were held in ST.
fuI lA -y.,,
detail recedcd from their demands
which. if conceded, would have entailed
an additional expense upon the railroads
for switching services Of from 80 to
IS pcr cent
''Tbc managers committee offered
the switchmcn an Increase OF 30 cents
per day of tcu hours IN the rates of
paw OF switchmen employed III the ter
ritory west of Havre. Mont, on the
Great Northern railway, and west Of
Billings Mont. on the Northern Pacific
railway, the differeutial in that terri
tory for switchmen having obtained for
about Two years.
.'Furthor concessions were declined,
for tho reason that the rates Of pay Of
cent 10 November, 1906, and because
the rates al that time established had
not been reduced during the period of
business depression which followed.
"The attention of the switchmen was
called 10 the fact that in 1906 the
switchmen were granted a larger per
cpntace Of increase than any other class
Of employees in train service At the
present rate the wages of the swltchmen
average over 500 per mouth.
Would Not Arbitratc.
con November 23. 1909, in submit
ting its FINAL answer Ia the switchmen.
The msuagcrs committee. assuming
that the sWitchmcp Joined. in the de
sire for IN amicable adlustment of
questions under considera ton, suggest
ed that the demands be submitted TO
arbitration. under the provisions Of the
Erdman act. The switchmen declined
10 accept this suggestion. and in their
final written answer to the managers
committee, made the statement that
the committee bcgs leave to state that
il viii moi submit TO arbitration under
any circumstances.
The statement then recites that on
November -. after a discussion of The
proposal 10 arbitratc under tho terms
Of the T.rdman act at the suggestion
of President HawlPy, q Joint telegram
was addressed 10 Martin a. Knapp of
the interstate commerce commission and
Charles =. Neill, United States commits.
eioncr of labor asking them TO act az
mediators under the Erdman act.
Continuing. the statement says:
"Monday. November 20. was selected
as the day for conference between
Mcssrs. Knapp and Neill aud repre-
scntatives OF the railroads and switch
men at ST Paul.
Strike Order Sudden.
f" About November %. before the con
| ference with Mcssrs. Knapp and Neil]
bad begun, despite the understanding
reached in the conference that media,
tion under the Erdman act should be
evoked and without the knowledge of
either the managers committee or me-
! diators. strike order was issued by
the switchmen s committee, directing
| Continued on Page Two