The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1910-03-17
STRIKE NOT WELL
UNDERSTOOD HERE
Public Impression That Matter
Has Been Submitted TO Ar
bitratiOn Is Wrong.
FEDERAL OFFICERS DECIDE
ONLY WHAT TO ARBlTRATE
Firemen's Fight Against Engi-
neer's Union Is the Real
Question at Issue.


been submitted to arbitration. The fed
ersl Officers arc considering only the
question: shall the question OF promo
ZION and hours be submitted To arbitra-
ton"
If they decide that 1t shall. then ar
biters will be chosen and this one ques-
tion will he arbitrated II they decide
that il cannot be arbitratcd, then the
whole matter will stand Just where 1t
was before the Hrcmcn called the strike.
ii the federal officers decide against
submitting this question 10 arbitration,
then either the iiremcn or the railroads
the worst railroad strike ever known.
The fight is between the hrcmcn and
the engineers over which union shali
control the engineers the Brotherhood of
Locomotive f1rcmcn ana Engineers or
the Brotherhood of Locomotive iInSl-
necrs| The railroads are involved only
because the frcmen threaten TO strike
IL the railroads do not recognize the con
troll of the Fircmens union over the en-
eincers instead OF recognizing the Engi-
nccrS union,
The railroads Insist on dealing with
the engineers through the Engineers
union aud with the fircmen through the
Firemcn's union. but the iircmcn insist
that the railroads deal with the Firemen's
union concerning questions affecting only
the engineers and practically ignore the
Engineers union.
This the roads refuse TO do. and In
this they have the full support OF tho
engineers. So much so that the engl
ncers say, unofficially Of course, that "
the tircmen strike that the engines will
be fired by the engineers Chat is. Two
engineers TO an engine. one acting as
fireman at fireman's wages). and that
in cases where there arc not enough
extra engineers TO do the firing, that
the engineers will secure outside men to
do it, even If they arc not union men or
even railroad men,
Only One Question.
There arc three questions between the
fircmen and the railroads. but two OF
the questions arc practically one. These
three questions arc: Wages. promotion,
hours and other conditions of service
Both the railroads and the 1ircmcn have
agreed To submit the question of wages
TO arbitration, and so far rs the threat
ened strike is concerned. tins wage qnes-
ton no longer figures In the dispute. The
fight is over the other TWO questions,
which practically arc one question, in
that the railroads already have a contract
with tho Engineers union concerning pro-
service that is satisfactory 10 both the
railroads and TO the engineers.
The trouble comes in that tho fIrcmen
want 10 dictate the rules concerning pro-
motion from firemcn To engineers and con-
cernng hours and conditions Of service
that affect the engineers but not the
fremen. The firemen claim the right 10
introduce this new idea. because when
fireman is promoted 10 pc an engineer he
often retains his membership In the Fire
mems union and does not want TO loln
the Engineers union, hence wants TO deal
with the railroads as an engineer through
the Firemen's union instead OF through
the Engineers union.
The railroads claim that when man
is q fireman he is fireman, and that
they will deal with him through the
comes an engineer be is an engineer.
and they will deal with him, through the
Engineers union. The. railroads claim
that the t'iremcn's union had no more
right to dictate about engineers than the
Engineers union has TO dictate about
frcmen, any more than the Conductors
the Switchmen's union has to dictate
about brakcnlen-
The Firemen's Reason.
The reason why tho frcmeu are trying
10 dictate about engineers is because en-
gincers arc promoted from firemcn. in
other words that the FiremcnS s union is
The recruiting ground for the Engineers
union, because a man must serve so many
years as fireman before he can become
an engineer, Some OF the men promoted
10 engineers leave the Firemcn's union
and Join the Engineers union and their
places arc taken by new men learning
so promoted do not join the Engineers
union but remain with the Firemens
union under the term "enginemen.'
New when the ''engiucman" has 10 deal
with the railroad company ne cannot deal
through the Engineers union. 10 which
he does not belong. so must necessarily
mems union. or not at all. The result
is that the railroad company would have
TO deal with two sets of committees rep
resenting their engineers, each committee
from different unicn and the two
unions not on good terms with each
other. The railroad companies claim that
constant conflict. especially if the COM
mittee OF "enginemcn'' want one thing
and the committee OF engineers want Just
the reverse. as in the present case.
oa n
have adopted a new man for their work
preferring to be called "enginemen'' in
stead OF engineers, because, the Firemen's $
union is known as the brotherhood OF
Locomotive F'iremen and Engineers, in
stead of engineers.
Fight Between Two Unions,
The Firemens union hopes in the long
run, 10 absorb all the engineers into
their union and thus abolish the Broth
erhood OF Locomotive Engineers. They
hope to do this by retaining in their
union every fireman promoted TO be An
engineer and thus gradually kill off the
members. because the Engineers union
is necessarily fed from the Firemen's
union just as the FircmenS union is fed
by men promoted from tic roundhouse,
II the Engineers union cannot get new
members IL must gradually disappear as
in in the ' long run the Firemen's union wants i
10 control all men on the engine on both
sides OF the cab.
me rai'roaus claiIn lnat 10 aloW one
union, thus gradually. but surely 10 Kill
oft another union by forcing the railroad
10 recognize only one union. means tina [
sooner or later two other unions will get
pauy must then help one to kill the other
off. and so on. without end. In other
words the railroad companies claim that
4 two labor unions get into a fight that
they must settle IL between themselves
,ud not attempt 10 drag the railroad.
md through tho railroad and Il strike.
% drag the public into a matter that
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