Los Angeles herald., 1909-12-01
Switchmen's Union Calls
Strike in St. Paul
FIFTEEN DAYS OF NEGOTIATION
PROVE USELESS
23oo EMPLOYEES OF 13 ROADS
LEAVE THEIR JOBS.
Railway Managers and President Haw-
ley of Labor Organization Issue
Statements Explaining Their
Side of Question
Associated Pressl

/ iASsocldleQ GFessI
! q 7 PAUL, Nov. 30.-After fifteen
IN days of negotiations between the
~ Switchmens union of North Amer
lea and the joint committee of railroad
managers, representing thirteen rail-
roads of the northwest, a strike in
yolving 2300 switchmen became ee-ec-
tive at o'clock tonight
The men are employed by railroads
running west and north of ST. Paul
from Lake Superior to the Pacific coast
and unless speedily settled, the strike
will mean a serious interruption of
traffic.
The first effect of the strike was a
| sharp bulge in the price of wheat in
the Chicago grain market late today.
Roads entering the Twin Cities and
Duluth and Superior are largely grain
carriers frcm the west. Tonight both
sides to the dispute issued statements.
The railway managers committee is
sued the following:
ITO the public: The railroads of
the northwest, recognizing the public
is an interested, but an unrepresented.
third party in the controversy with
their switchmen, through the commit
tee which has been conducting their
negotiations desire to place at the dis
posal of the public the following facts
in connection with the negotiations;
ritory made simultaneous demands on
thirteen railroads centerng in the
Twin Cities for an increase in wages
and certain changes in service condi-
tons At the suggestion of f. T. Haw-
ley, president of the Switchmen's
union of North America of whom Or
ganization the switch-'on in the north
west are members, arrangements were
made to conduct the negotiations in
one conference.
Conference Held
"In the conference the railroads
were represented by a committee of
ten managers and the switchmen by
f. r. Hawley and by other officers of
the Switchmens union of North
| America.
The demands of the sWitchmen were
for double pay for Sundays, holidays
and overtime: an advance of so cents
a day of ten hours in the wages OF
switchmen, switch tenders, towermen,
engine herders and assistant yardmas-
ters: a modification of the rule provid-
ing 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 contem-
plates double pay in cases where y
becomes necessary to work portion
OF the meal hour, and the elimination
of the physical examination and the
age lfDlL placed On SNlAtitiiSH
ing the service.
Give conferences were held in st.
Paul in which the switchmen in no de-
tail receded from their demands, Whlch,
if conceded, would have entailed an ad~
ditional expense on the railroads Tor
switching service of from 40 to 40 per
cent.
| "The managers committee offered
the switchmen an increase Of 20 cents
a day of ten hours in the rates of pay
of switchmcn employed in the territory
| of west HaVre, Mont, on the Great
| Northern railroad and west of Billings,
Mont, on the Northern Pacific railway.
the differential in that territory for
switchmcn having obtained for about
two years.
Extra Concessions Declined
Further concessions were declined
for the reason that the rates of pay of
| switchmen were increased more than
13 per cent in November, 1906, and be-
| cause the rates at that time estab-
lished had not been reduced during the
period of business depression which
| followed
"The attention of the switchmen was
called to the fact that in 1906 the
switchmen were granted large per-
| centage of increase than any other
class of employees in the train service.
At the present rate the wages of the
switchmen average more than $lO0
month.
November %, 1909, in submitting its
| final answer to the switchmen, the
| managers committee, assuming that
the switchmen joined in the desire for
an amicabe adjustment of the ques-
tions under consideration, suggested
! the demands be submitted to arbitra-
| ton under the provision of the Erd-
man act This the switchmen declined
to do, and In their final written answer
| tO the managers committee made the
| statement that the committee 'beSs
leave to state that it will not submit
to arbitration under any circum-
| stances "
The statement then recites that No
| Vember %, after a discussion of the
proposal to arbitrate under the terms
of the Erdnlan act, at the suggestion
of President Hawley, a joint telegram
was addressed to Martin A. Knapp OF
the interstate commerce commission
and Charles p. Neill, United states
commissioner of labor, asking them TO
act as mediators under the Erdman
act
Statement Is Continued
Continuing, the statement says:
Monday, November 20, was selected
as the day for conference between
Messrs Knapp and NeilG and represen-
tatives of the, railroads and switehmen
| at St Paul
about November %. before the con-
! ference with Messrs. Knapp and -Neill
had 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
Imediators, a strike order was issued
bv the switchmen's committee directing
the switchmen of the thirteen north
Continued on Page Thirtecnl