Willmar tribune. [volume] (Willmar, Minn.) 1895-1931, 1914-07-29
WHY THE ENGINEMEN REFUSE
TO AR1ITRATE.

TO ARBITRATE.
A peculiar feature of the threatened
strike on the Western railroads is,
that while the Unions representing
these employees have gone on record
as favoring arbitration in past nego-
tiations, they now positively refuse to
submit the present dispute to an ar
bitration board for a decision.
This marked change in the attitude
Of the Railroad Brotherhoods toward
arbitration is attributed by the ofic-
ials Of these organizations to what
they assert is disposition on the
part of certain railroad officials to not
fairly apply Arbitration Awards when
made.
Grand Chief Stones Statement.
w. S. Stone, Grand Chief of the
Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers
says:
1.-THE Brotherhood of Locomotive
Engineers in the past has favored ar
bitration for the settlement of all dis.
putes between labor and capital, and,
in fact, has been instrumental in as
sisting to have several laws enacted
upon this subject. However, with our
| experience Of the past few years, we
have changed our views, and unless
| some plan can be devised whereby
members of the Brotherhood of Loco
motive Engineers can be assured that
the award will be put into effect as
handed down by the Board of Arbi
tration, there will be no further arbi
tration, so far as we are concerned
This has been brought about by the
sad experience of the past three
cases.
| Railroads Repudiate Arbitration
! Awards.
"In 1910, we had wage movement
of fifty-three railroads in the Western
territory. A settlement was reached
through mediation, the Honorable
Charles P. Neill, Commissioner, being
the one to bring about the agree
ment, which has never been carried
out in good faith by the railroads il
the West; and the present wage
movement in the West is due par
TALLY to the fact that the men were
deprived Of what they were rightfull!
entitled to by the award of 1910.
I'm 1912, we had an arbitration il
the Eastern territory comprising al
roads east of Chicago and north o
the Ohio River. This award was han
ded down in November, 1912, and a
this time, after almost two years hav
elapsed, and the term of the Arb
tration Award has expired, we ar
still striving to have some Of tn
railroads put it into effect and pa
their back pay that the men are er
titled to under the terms of tn
award.
Another Instance.
'The Brotherhood of Locomotiv
!, Engineers and the Brotherhood of LIZ
, connective Firemen and Enginemen IT
f Gently had a case in dispute on tn
3 Georgia and Florida Railway, and me
with the vice-president and gener;
t manager, Mr.. Duer, and were unab]
: to reach settlement. He propose
: to leave the entire question in di
t pute to board of arbitration. At tn
time this was proposed, all commi
e tees and grand officers declined to a
r cept his proposition on the ground
+ of the difficulty experienced in the r
e cent arbitration in the East in havin
+ the award placed into effect. But tt
: vice-president and general manage
J. assured the committee that If we r
|, ferred the questions in dispute on IL
g Georgia and Florida to arbitratic
h that the award given would be pro
n erly carried out in its entirety, al
o that he was willing to give us his pc
e sonal bond and guarantee that tn
II would be done. The employees we
bitterly opposed to any arbitratio
lie knowing what the previous experien
1t had been in the East, and this q
N lection on the part of the employ
$, was very fully explained to the ma
le ager, and he Immediately assured
IS that we need have no fear in this CO
a. nection, and any decision rendered
I'd board Of arbitration would be p
le into effect at once on the Georgia a.
m Z