The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1910-11-10
Express Companies
and Drivers Get
Together
AGREEMENT IS SIGNED
When Ii Was Taken Before the
Strikers They Voted Under Advice
to Reject 1t, Then Changed Their
Vote and Decided Tentatively to
Return to Work Under Ii.

w hS!tCl i5 Iucu NHdHSeu IHeli
Vote and Decided Tentatively to
Return to Work Under II.
New York, Nov. 11.-After backing
and filling for five hours an executive
session of the striking drivers and
helpers of the five transcontinental
express companies decided tentative
ly early this morning to return to
work Monday under the terms of the
agreement signed yesterday after
noon.
If the Jersey City strikers also ap-
prove the agreement, the men will
go back; if the Jersey men reject the
agreement, the New York men will
stay out Drivers and chauffeurs on
strike not employed by the express
companies are not affected and may
settle their differences as they chose.
A committee representing the
employees, not the union, which
the strike and the eXecu-
tive officers of the five companies
met in Mayor Gaynor's office late this
afternoon and signed an agreement
for presentation at mass meeting
tonight for ratification.
With the agreement accepted by
the men, the strike will end tomor-
row. The agreement, in the form Of
letter to Henry r. TOwne, president
of the Merchants Association of New
York follows
I'VE are willing to take back our
employees who are on strike, whether
or not they have joined a union, re-
serving the right however, to decline
to take back any of them, whether
they be members of union or not,
who may have committed or melted
acts of violence and hostility against
us.
Those of our companies whose
employees have raised a question con-
cerning their hours of employment
or rate of wages will agree, after the
men resume work. at once to take up
these questions with their employee .,
or with the committee for them for
the purpose OF reaching a settlement
which shall be just and satisfactory
to both parties with The understand
ing that the former hours and rates
of wages shall continue in effect until
December list next and that on th&t
date any changes nutually agreed
upon snail thea become effective.
TO this offer the representatives OF
-, a
employees to resume work at once and
end the strike
Before the agreement was signed
the day had been turbulent, confused
and full of statements and counter
statements There was more rioting
than at any time during the strike.
1t was directly due to Mayor Gay
nor that the agreemet was drawn up
and signed Last night the companies
issued and today printed in the ad-
vertising columns of the newspapers
a long statement defining their posi-
ton. Mr.. Gaynor read this and then
sent for Mr.. Towne and asked him
to reduce it to short form and see il
the express companies would not
sign it. He did so and they all signed
The worst of the trouble today came
not from the express company en-
ployes but from the striking taXicat
chauffeurs who went out with then
in sympathy They mobbed taXicabs
with the police until it was nee
essary to threaten them with drawn
ravo1varc and cash then with swing.
ing night-sticks
At the mass meeting OF the strikers
all the speakers advised against ac-
cepting the terms of the agreement
and there were strong indications
that the proposed settlement would be
rejected.
The men voted to reject the agree
ment.
Although the Mayor when he lef
his office had issued a statement con
graduating Henry r, Towne, presi
dent OF the Merchants association
of New York who had attended the
afternoon conference, for his share
in settling the strike" it was latel
seen that the strike was not settled
at all
Two hundred chautfeurs who strucl
in sympathy with the eXpressmen ant
went back to work a week ago, whel
their demands were granted, were
directed to strike again, because thu
company would not permit them t.
wear the union button.