Evening journal., 1913-06-24
ASSOCIATION
FORP.R.R. MEN
Proposed Benefit Organization
Interests Whining
tOnianS
WOULD UNITE
ALL THE BRANCHES

Employees Of the p. B. & W. railroad !
In this city arc interested in a new or
ganization known as the Pennsylvania |
Railroad Employees Mutual Benefit
Association, to be founded at a meet
lrg to be held in Harrisburg within
the next several weeks. A number Of
local railroad men will attend the
meeting. This association will admit
oil employees of the Pennsylvania
railroad east of Pittsburgh and Erie,
and will in no way conflict with any
brotherhood organization or member
ship.
At a preliminary meeting held in
Pittsburgh recently, presided over by
Howard Collins, of Harrisburg, a pas
senger conductor on the Middle divis-
Ion, the object of this association was
explained to 200 employees. and COM
nittee was named to draw up bylaws
and a constitution to be submitted at
the meeting to be held in Harrisburg.
Howard Collins will be temporary
president.
This association is to be financed by
the members, first by voluntary con-
tribution, and then by an annual con-
tribution from each member, which
will be fixed according to the means Of
employees, and will in no way work a
hardship. AS soon as the new asso-
citation is under way it is proposed to
arrange with Pennsylvania railroad
officials for the purchase of Pennsyl-
vania railroad stock when any is on
the market. The profits of the stock
purchased to be used in providing
large fund to meet all requirements.
The many benefits will include a
death insurance and a monthly benefit
to be paid TO pensioners and men dis
qualified by reason of old age or per-
manent injury These benefits will
vary in amounts. The employe who is
now merely earning a livelihood, who
receives about $40 a month when he
becomes a pensioner. by having a
membership in the association will re-
ceive an additional sum to enable him
TO keep up his home.
There are employees OF the Pennsyl-
vania railroad who expect to be re-
tired in the near future but look for
ward to that retirement with very lit
tie comfort as the pension they will
receive, based on their wages for the
past ten years, will not be sufficient
to meet expenses.
The new association win look after
the employe if he is a member. There
will be other benefits which will be
explained at the meeting to be held IN
Harrisburg
At the present time there are half
a dozen brotherhoods with which the
Pennsylvania railroad must deal and
the consequence is that there is a
never-ending labor dispute on hand
The engineers have a brotherhood. so
have the firemen and conductors and
trainmen, telegraphers, switchmen and
trackmen, and the result is that one
new contention after another is con-
stantly bobbing up.
The employees have long felt the
need Of some united action in this di-
rection, as It was recognized that a
strike of any one brotherhood was al
most certain to fall because all the
other brotherhoods would be bound by
agreement to stay at work and there
fore it would mean perhaps one green
man on every train that was operated.
From this point of view the propo-
sition to have all the employees in one
union met with the hearty approval Of
most of the brotherhood men and
when the officials of the company
learned of the movement which was
under way they expressed their en-
dorsement of the plan.
While the company appreciates it
will have a more compact organiza-
ton to deal with If all the employees
are members of one association, the
officials say they would far prefer 70
have their employees in one organiza-
ton so that they could deal directly
with them. Under the present system
when one set Of employees of any con-
siderable number Of fifty or more east
ein railroads become dissatisfied they
embroil the half hundred railroads il
their grievances. The Pennsylvania
Railroad Company claims that its en-
ployes can he dealt with far more
satisfactorily if it knows that an
agreement with them is TO be observed
for a stated period. At present every
year brings its possibilities Of strike
and because the employees must put
themselves on the same plane with
the employees of other roads injustices
are oftimes wrought to both employees
end the company
The Pennsylvania railroad Will u
the present move is carried through IT
its entirety, comprise a separate
brotherhood with no other road z
deal with in making wage contracts
and fixing working time. The unioI
will thus be able to more equitabl'
Ak the rate of pay for all classes o
employees and wage scales can be sign
ed for periods of several years withou
the danger of having everything upse
by a disagreement among a certain
class of workmen.