New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1910-07-03
BIG P. R. R. STRIKE
THREATENS THE EAST
Vote Now Being Taken by
$500 Conductors and Train
men on the System.
LINES EAST OF PlTTSBURG
Men Demand Increases of from 5
to 90 Per Cent-Thlnk They
Should Get More than Men
on Other Roads.

vania Railroad Company to-day tna' 'ii'
members Of the Order Of Railway Con-
ductors and Brotherhood OF Railroad
Troinren EMPLOYED in the train and
ward service OF the company east Oh
Pittsburg. Erie and Buffalo are taking
strike vote because the company has re-
fused TO give the men further increase
in wages amounting TO from to ~ Per
cent. Approximately 1880 men are n
voIved
In making the announcement tho
oor,nanv gave out a statement giving
it's side of the case. and also maze pup
lie the strike circular distributes dii-0@
the employees. together with the COM
nany's answer to the men, winch "as
posted in all it's yards.
The company states that the men
want 2 ten-hour day at the same wages
paid for eleven hours, and demand tFa~
the eleventh hour be considered extra
work and paid for at the new ten-nour
Fate The company states that us rates
generally speaking. are higher than the
New York CentraTs, but that it was VIII
ing TO apply the rules Of the New YORK
Central arbitration award. in addltlon 10
the present rates on the Pennsylvania
providing the eleven-hour day couIo %
maintained and pay for overtime be PAID
on the one-tenth of the New York Cen
trail rate. instead of paying one-tenth or
-he daiIv rate of the Pennsylvania
SSzre,1er&
The officers of the trainmen and con-
ductors' unions in their strike circular
to the men, say:
Generally speaking. yard rates put
into effect by your company compare
favorabIy with the rates paid by other
coropanies n the territory but we con-
tend 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
Railroad has always seemingly been 10
educate their employees in the beiset tfat
certain Of such employees were entitled
to from ; TO % per cent more than paid
by other companies for similar service
We feel we are entitled 10 continual
ton of the practice, accompanied by
standard condition of payment
The determination TO take strike vote
was reached after a conference on Tues
dav with General Manager W H Myers.
who informed the committees that the
company would accept the arbitration
award of the New York Central that IL
would adopt all that enbodies the prtn-
ciples for which they contend and the
rates that have been put into effect on
the New York Central. leaving the CON-
pany's high rates stand. but not increas-
ing them by making a ten-hour day ap-
ply to the rates which were made 20 1T
an eleven and twelve-hour day; or that
the company would try 70 meet these
conditions by adjustments. fitting its
rates of pay and conditions Of work TO
the New York Central award as near as
possible as has been done in the rates
that have been posted recently
p. r. r. and Its Competitors.
The company in its statement says:
''Ninety-five per cent Of the gross earn
ings of the Pennsylvania Railroad are
based on transportation rates which are
made as a result of competition on the
north with the New York Central and
on the south with the Baltimore & Ohio
The company has TO compete with these
railroads. and although its rates Of pay
have been higher and working conditions
better than those or the former roads.
as the rates of pay of these railroads
approach those of the company the lat
ter cannot maintain the same difference
between the rates Of pay. which must OF
necessity in the natural course Of events
reach a common basis II is true that
the other railroads in this territory have
made increases. but they have not
reached the rates generally paid by the
Pennsylvania Railroad
The statement further says that the
PENNSYLVANIA Railroad men sJected the
scale of wages adopted by the trainrnen
and conductors convention in Boston IN
October. 1909. and adopted a new scale
with much higher rates. which was sub
mitted to the company. Later the COM
pany increased wages 8 per cent TO all
employees receiving under $500 month
and adjusted yard rates 10 meet. those
accepted by the Baltimore & Ohio train
men After the New 10TH OenLId4
award was made. the company says, II
further increased its rates Of pay to GER
tain classes Of workmen on June l.
The men. however. sought still higher
wages. the company declares. and ths
railroad declining 10 accede 10 the de-
mands, the strike vote action followed.
Answer to the Men.
In its answer to the men, posted in all
yards. the company says:
To-day the Pennsylvania Railroad
paws as high as. or higher wages than.
its competitors The committee agrees
with this. and il is so stated in the bal
lot.
The opinion OF your committee Is that
the company should pay from TO I'd
per cent higher than Is paid by other
companies for similar service IN order TO
maintain the differential that has here
tofore been paid for similar service by
your company and its competitors
us IL fair to penalize your company
now because in the past II has treated
its employees as literally as its finances
would permit regardless OF wages paid
nv it's competitors. and, further. because
in this instance II has more than met
advances of the other roads, whose en-