Omaha daily bee., 1910-11-08
ENGINEERS WILL
VOTE ON STRIKE
Negotiations Between Brotherhood
Grand Officers and Railroad Off
cials Broken Off.
STONE EXPECTS wALKOUT SOON
Ballots Are to Be Counted b
cember Tenth.
WANT SEVEN PER CENT NCB
Alteration of Working Conditic :
Also Demanded. "a
WESTERN ROADS ARE AFFEc
sIHty-One systems West, south and
North of Chicago, Including iIli-
nsis Central Are Included
In Movement.

CHICAGO. nj. Nov, IA strike vote
eiu be taken among engineers Of sixty
one railroads west, south and north Of
Chicago, Including tho Illinois Central, fol-
loyving the termination today OF the nego-
tations between the roads and grand of
ficers Of the Brotherhood Of Locomotive |
Engineers. which began September 26
Differences in wage increases Of approx |
matey per cent and alteration OF work. /
ing conditions stood between the negotia- !
tors.
Grand chief Warren c. Stone Of the !
brotherhood who has Deen leading the |
railroad men in their demands, said today |
ne believed the strike vote would be un- |
animousy In favor Of suspension of work |
ana that the result would be known by
December 10 Immediately thereafter he
said a last opportunity would be given the
railroads to meet the workers and IL they
ignored thaat opportunity, within five
hours every engine west of Chicago, in all
branches of. service, would be sulled, the
fires drawn and out OF the thousands OF
cabs would step every driver on duty
brotherhood Representative.
The representatives OF the enginemen in
the twenty-five conferences which ended
today without results, were:
Warren g stone, grand chief; Ash Ken
nedy E. Corrigsn NJ. w. Cadle and II. +.
wills assistant grand chiefs Of the Broth
erhood OF locomotive Engineers. They
received the advice Of fifty division man
ayers OF the brotherhood, vino directly
represented the smaller councils of the
order.
Ruilroad officials, as follows heard the
sngine drivers demands:
II y. So rn,,g. Tua Il 4
Ward Of the Burlington lines, w. c.
Batchelder OF the Chicago terminal, Balh-
more " Ohio: w. A. Durham Of the
Aissgpr Kansas 4 Texas. @. II. Emerson
ST tli6. d;raat Noftherh, T. }. Foley OF the
Illinois Central r. &. Fox of the Atchison.
Topeka & Santa Fe, Grant Hall Of the
Canadian Pacific, II. j. Simmons OF the
III Paso & Southwestern, and A. w. Tren-
holm OF the Chicago. st. Paul Minneapolis
a. Omaha.
The whole question arose from the de-
cision OF the engnemen themselves In con-
ventlon at Detroit, Mich, last spring It
was decided then that the existing wage
scale. in effect since February, 1907, was
unsatisfactory and that working conditions
had been imposed by railroads which
should be eliminated. The grand officers
were named to meet the railroads and
present the demands.
Conditions in Dispute.
The general working conditions Of which
the enginemen complain include among
other things the following:
DRIVERS Of the mallet compound en-
gnee, which do, practically the work Of
two engines, and entail a correspondingly
greater responsibility and capabiity, re-
celve the same wages as other drivers Of
high-power engines OF much lesser ca
pacity.
"9ngineers wish TO be relieved OF the toll
OF preparing their engines for travel and
Of caring for them after runs.
switching time should be paid for on q
different basis
the magnitude OF the wage question is
evidenced by statement by the employees
that the per cent wage difference now
standing between the drivers and the rail-
roads means approximately s2sOOOOO year.
The cost Of alterations OF the working con-
diuons, minor considerations IN the confer
ence would he less than $500 OOO it was as
serted.
We Just reached the point where il was
evident We couldn't agree on the wage and
other questions" said Grand Chief Warren
s stone OF the Brotherhood today. When
We started our negotiations, we little ex.
pected them 20 last as long as this
our powers 10 arrive at agreements
are restricted however by the fact that
in this case we are acting not IN a die,
tstorial sense. but simply as following out
the expressed commands OF the indivdua
engineers. hence, we have only the pre-.
scribed limits Of movement allotted us by
the Detroit convention.
"The railroad committee OF ten asserted
directly that they could not approach ON
terms and there was simply nothing IeF
20 do but ask our men for an expression
of their desire to strike. Since they unani
mously directed this action OF ours,
seems only reasonable that they will vot
unanimously for strike
One More Opportunity.
"By December 10 we viii have the bal
lots counted and win present the resul
60 the railroad men. They will have on
change 70 meet the terms our men hav
expressed through u.s. and. II they refus,
J think the strike order win 20 out With
half an hour,
II a strike Is ordered we can reach ever
engineor / believe within five hours. an
on every one % the sixty-one roads ever
cab viii be deserted Immediately and
Won happen 20 be passenger al that tim,
guess vou'u have 60 get out end walk "
representatives OF the Association
Railway Managers from which thee ommi
tee on ten 70 treat with the enginemen wa
drawn, said that statement by Mr.. stor
was Substantially correct. and added onl
the figures over which the contention wa
Nased. When the conferences began.
said Chairman W. b. Scott OF the oonfel
enco committee. the engineers demand
approximated n per cent lncrease. Tn
AS finally brought down 10 u per cen
finally agreed TO 10 per cent increas