The Birmingham age-herald., 1910-07-03
RAILROAD EMPLOYES THREATEN ID STRIKE Pennsylvania Road Refuses to
 Again Raise Wages DIFFERENCE IN VIEW Officials Say They Will Make Certain Concessions But Cannot Grant
 All the Demands Made By
 the Employees
DIFFERENCE IN VIEW

Philadelphia, July 2.-Official announce ment was made by the Pennsylvania Railroad company today that the mem- bers of the Order of Railway Conductors and Brotherhood of Railway Trainmen employed in the train and yard service of the company east of Pittsburg, Erie and Buffalo are taking a strike vote be- cause the company has refused to give the men further increase in wages amounting to from to 20 per cent. Ap- proximately 15,500 men are involved. In making the announcement the company gave out a statement giving its side of the case, and also made public the strike circular distributed among the employees together with the company's answer to the men which was posted in all the yards.
 The company states that the men want a 10-hour day at the same wages paid for Il hours, and that the eleventh hour be considered extra work and paid for at the new 10-hour rate. The company states that it's rates. generally speaking, are higher than the New York Central rate, but that 1t was willing to apply the rules of the New York Central arbitration
 
 that obtained on the Pennsylvania, pro viding the 11-hour day could be main tained and pay for overtime on the one tenth of the New York Central rate in- stead of paying one-tenth of the daily rate of the Pennsylvania Is made.
 The officers of the trainmen and con- ductors of the unions in their strike cir cular to the men say:
 Generally speaking, your rates put into effect hV Ia ably with the rates paid by other com panies in the territory, but we contend that both road and yard rates should be higher on our lines than paid by other companies for similar service because the policy of the Pennsylvania has always seemingly been to educate their employees in the belief that certain of such en- poyes were entitled to from to 20 per cent more than paid by other companies for similar service We feel we are en- titled to a continuation of the practice accompanied by standard condition of payment"
 The determination to take strike vote was reached after a conference last Tues day with General Manager w. H. I.yers who informed the committee that the company would accept the arbitration award of the New York Central; that it would adopt all that embodies the prin-
 
 the rates have been put into effect on the New York Central. leaving the companys high rates stand, but not increasing them by making 10-hour day apply to the rates which were made to fit an II and 12- hour day would be satisfactory. The company should meet these conditions by adjustments fitting its rate of pay and conditions of work to the New York Cen tral award ass near as possible as had been done in sthe rates that have been posted recently. Tn it's answer to the men the circular posted in all yards the com pany says.
 "Ts 1t fair to penalize the company now because in the past it hns treated it's em- pioyes as lberally as it's finances would permit, regardless of wages paid by it's competitors? And further because in this instance it has more than met the ad- vances of the other roads, whose em- ployes, although generally still below those of the Pennsylvania railroad, were brought up more nearly to a parity with the favorable conditions of your com pany. Your committee has presented schedule which would increase the wages from is to 20 per cent above those now paid by our competitors as a result of mediation and arbitration This schedule the company has declined"