The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1914-02-05
Trolley Company Employees
Went on Strike This
Morning
BECAUSE DEMANDS
HAD NOT BEEN MET
Cars Are Being Manned by
Officers of Company and
Other Workmen

/ Negotiations between the motormen
and conductors employed ON the intec-
urban line between Barre and Montpelier
and the officials of the Barre h Mont
pelier Traction & Power Co., which nave
been pending since the agreement be-
tween the company and their employees
expired Saturday night, suddenly came
to halt last night, when n members
Of the union voted to go on strike. Cars
were running over the line on schedule
time for the most part to-day, but the
operators were officials OF the road and
employees at the company's car barns.
What the end Of the strike viii be no
one can predict. The operators union
called meeting in Montpelier this fore
noon at / / o'clock.
1 With the expiration OF an agreement
| that has been in force some years, the
union made an official demand on the
company for heavier scale OF wages
and a nine hour day. Briefly, the EN-
ployes wanted So per day for first-year
men. 1926 per day for second year men,
$3.50 for thirdyear men and $3.50 for
the employees who have worked on the
cars three years or more. The traction
company took the demands under adj
visement and last night forwarded
counter offer 10 the officials Of the car
mems union. The proposed schedule
drafted by the company offered Is cents
an hour TO men for the first six months
and increases ranging from Is cents to
% cents for men who have worked three
years and more. The nine.hour day was
conceded by the company and the in
crease Of pay per hour was as follows:
First six months, is cents per hour;
second six months, 90 cents per hour:
third six months, 81 cents per hour;
fourth six months, 2lh cents per hour;
fifth six months, % cents per hour; sixth
six months. 22h cents per hour; three
years and more, 23c. Before the last
agreement expired the men were work
ing II hours day on scale ranging
from 1875 to 22 cents.
The meeting, which opened at Eagles
hall in Montpelier soon after the last
car went to the barns for the night was
called by President A. Fl Baldwin. j. II.
Rearden of Worcester, Mass, an organ
zer for the car mems union, was pres
ent and the proposed schedule of the
traction company was presented. The
vote to refuse the company's offer tol
lowed after a short debate and was
Unanimous. The strike went into effect
at midnight and Manager Fl. D. Iarabee
of the traction company was notified
shortly before that hour. Manager Lara |
bee expressed regret over the unions
decision and requested the car men to
turn in their badges, keys, etc, at day
break
Statements from Both Sides.
When interviewed to-day traction off.
eials and officers OF the union spoke alike |
in justification of their respective stands. |
The car men claim that road authorities |
did not heed the unions request for "A
hearing made some time before the /
agreement expired. They urge that the |
wage scale is lower than the scale which |
obtains in most Vermont cities end |
towns connected with interurban lines /
and then they cite the declaration of /
Organizer Reardon to the effect that the |
scale is much lower than the scales that |
prevailed ordinarily in towns where the
car men are organized. The officers of
the union are: President, A. f. Bald /
win; vice president, Barney Mcclure;
financial secretary, G. H. Reagan; rec
ording secretary and treasurer, W. II.
Perry.
Officers of the road say they were ex-
pecting the ear men TO refer the differ
ences to an arbitration board should
their overtures be refused. Notice OF the
vote to strike came as a complete sur
prise to the company and hurried ar
had to be made for preserv-
ing the ear schedule intact to-day. One
prominent official of the traction com
pany is quoted as saying that large /
sum of money has been expended on the Il
road during the past year. Thus far
the Tenney corporation has realized moth
ing from its investment and the car /
men were asked to take judicial motto,
of this condition and give the company
another year in which TO put the road
on better financial basis and thus JUS
tify an increase in wages. Meanwhile
the road officials were willing to make
overtures already described, if the men
would bide their time.
"A lack of faith in the Tenney cor
poration is responsible for the strike
said one official to-day. He declared that
the corporation desired to realize only a
fair margin on its investment and that
it contemplated a material increase in
wages as soon as conditions would ius ,
tify an increase. In a statement pro-
eeeding from the powers at the head
of the road, it is maintained that "scabs"
will not be employed on the car line
while the strike is in progress. Instead,
the company will put its officials liue-
men and car barn employees in charge OF
cars until the differences are adjusted. ,