The Chickasha daily express. (Chickasha, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1899-current, 1911-11-21

cOMPANY's CIRCULAR.
TO The Public and aIl Shop Employees
Rock Island lines:
In view Of the rumors OF an i'm.
pending strike Of the shop employees
Of the Rock Island Lines, and recog-
mixing the right ot the public to have
full information on a question that
Involves It's welfare. as well as one
which involves the surrender to a
committee Of employees the right to
say IN what manner the corporation
shall perform its service to the pub
lie. the following statement Is sub
mitted
The policy OF the company has AL
ways been one Of fairness toward It's
employees. It has withheld retrench-
ment OF forces az long as possible
Il has always paid wages equal to
those Of contiguous lines It's men
have always served under working
rules and conditions as favorable as
those Of contiguous lines.
In view Of these facts and the pres
ent business conditions Of the coun.
try, this company could not consider
anything that contemplated an in,
crease IN its expenses and the Cen
srai Committee of Shop Employees, -
the beginning or the conference, over
four months ago. were fairly advised
OF this.
Briefly he issues upon which the
employees committee justify 4 Asfikt
are al follows
4. 1'hey demand that the payment
Of five hours minimum overtime shall
commence one hour earlier than at
present.
The company declines this. be.
cause OF Increased expense. with no
compensalins return.
3 They demand that an empIoye
called to work overtime shall be re-
leased upon completion OF the Job
called or held for, unless other emer-
eency work arises which requires i'm.
mediate attention and he is the only
man OF his craft on duty"
The company declines this. because
Of Increased expense. and for the
reason that nan IS given a mini
mum Of tive hours pay Il he works
after six a. nj. Or p. m. The com
Dany has : Flght 70 tho use Of the
man for The glme paid. even though
the Job for which he is called may
not consume an Of that time.
3. They demand that laying of
and empio5lHg men shall be governed
exclusively By seniority.
The company declines this, for the
reason that It's schedules with al 9th
er employees provide that ability Of
the individual shall be taken into
consideration IN employing and pro.
noting men and in reducing forces.
II is the duty OF the company to
treat all emplose, alike and to give
ell fair and equal consideration, to the
end that the most efficient honest
and dllleent workmen shall be given
employment, and for the further rea'
son that Il forces were TO be reduced
in the manner demanded by the EN-
ployes It would permit them to mai
cate those 10 be la.d of, thereby pro
hlblling the company from riddina
the service q the less desirable EN-
bloyes. ana thus embarrassing Il IL
its efforts for economical operation.
4. They demand that only run
ning repair work be done whes
shops are closed that time and one
halt be paid to men employed II
regular hours, when shops are clos
ed. upon miscellaneous repairs to 10
comotlves or cars. or upon what L
commonly mown as dead" work.
The company declines this. be
cause Of increased expense whlel
would result from an idle force Q
such men, 4 greater part Of the time
a. are necessary to be employed II
keeping unf running repairs whel
shops are closed, and declined for ihl
further reason that il prevents th
company from exercising its right +
conduct llz own business in the mos
economical manner
s. They demand that no foreman