The labor journal. [volume] (Everett, Wash.) 1909-1976, 1914-09-04
RAILWAY UNIONS.
Their Wonderful Growth In Re-
cent Years.
FOUR BRANCHES ARE UNITED.
Stronq In Membership and Maintain
Ample Funds In Treasuries- large
Sums Paid Out Annually In Bene-
fetal Work-Power In Organization.

Ample Funds In Treasurles-Large
Sums Paid Out Annually In Bene-
fetal Work-Power In Organization.
For the last three months the ques
ton OF war or peace between all the
railroads west of Chicago and their
engineers and tremen mas been wait
ing for an answer. writes Henry Nj.
Hyde in the Chicago News.
The number of railroads involved is
ninety-two. The two unions number
more than $4,000 members
it is understood that the men are
asking changes in working rules and
direct increases in pay which the rail
roads estimate would. taken together,
add 40 per cent to their payrolls.
Whatever the outcome of the pend
ing struggle there are few things more
significant and interesting than the
change during the last ten years in the
position and attitude of the four great
unions of railroad employees.
Then they were comparatively weak,
poor, quarreling among themselves,
anxious to propose arbitration to rail
road managers. who frequently decIar
ed they had nothing to arbitrate.
Today they are immensely strong,
with a total membership of well over
100000 men in the United States.
Each of them--the union of engineers.
of firemen. of conductors and of train
hoe of n lD PC in itC
treasury. The trainmen alone have a
balance of $3.O0O,OO0. with about ST.
100000 of this amount in their strike
fund The engineers own a skyscraper
in Cleveland and have other large in
terests
They pay ont hundreds of thousands
of dollars year in life and accident
insurance TO their members and con
duct homes for the aged and crippled
in their ranks.
None of the four unions has ever de
manded the "closed shop" from a rail
road company. Yet the engineers, with
65, 900 members, have enrolled more
than 90 per cent of all the locomotive
drivers in the United States. and the
other three unions. the conductors.
with about $4,000 members; the fire
men, with nearly 10000. and the train
men. including brakemen and yard
men. 10000. have also practically
cleaned up their respective fields.
Ten years ago the unions of engineers
and firemen We're at swords points.
When after long years of apprentice
ship fireman was finally promoted to
the other side of the cab the engineers
union declared that he must give up
his old utilization and absolutely quit
the iremen's union. That rule result
ed in bitter feelings and much friction.
Now that has all been patched up. Not
only that. but a working agreement
has been reached by which all four I'M
ions stand together in making their de-
mands on the railroads.
| Up to 1900 when the officials of a
railroad union went before the officials
to ask for changes in conditions or in
wages their chief weapons were threats
and heated oratory. Now they en-
ploy accountants and statisticians to
analyze complicated railroad state
ments. They come into conference
nowadays with expert witnesses, who
have prepared charts and diagrams
which show the increase in the cost of
! living. the rate of railroad earnings to
investments and all the factors which
enter into the discussion of the situa
ton.
| In the matter of arbitration the posi-
ton of the railroad companies and of
the unions is exactly reversed. In the
old days it was the unions, then com
paratively weak. which pleaded that
their requests be sent to arbiuators;
now it is more often the railroad man
ayers who are quick to suggest arbi
ira ton.
! In the management and operation Of
the roads the unions have also gained
great influence. They are largely re-
sponsible for the passage of most Of
the laws requiring safety appliances to
be installed ON railroad trains. Under
| the seniority rule. which prevails al
most universally. promotion must be
given to the men who are Oldest in
point of service. Even up to the ranks
of the minor railroad officials, such. for
! instance. as assistant yardmaster, the
man at the top of the list Immediately
below that position has the right to
demand that he be given at least trial
In the new job.
And the union men have one stock
argument which they use to great ad-
vantage. Ten years ago single en-
CINE could haul certain number OF
tons of freight; today single engine
hauls twice as many tons. In other
words there has been an increase of
100 per cent in the train load.
During the same period the wages of
trainmen have increased 40 per cent
The men point out with much elo-
quence that so far as the wages of en-
gineers, tiremen and trainmen are con-