The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1915-12-21
Big RAILWAY STRIKE
AWAITS UNIONS 0. K.
Voting to Begin January 1
May Call Out Men on
458 Roads.
WOULD PALALYZE NATION

CHICAGO. Dec. 2o.-The ass railroads
Of the United States were brought face
to face with the eight hour day to-
night when executive committees Of the
four great railroad labor organizations
who have been sitting In Joint session
here for two weeks formulated demands
for a u to eight hours from the pre-
vaii,ng ten hour day. Time and a half
for overtime also will be asked.
Resolutions embodying the demands
are TO be mailed TO every member or
the four brotherhoods On the first OF the
year for a referendum vote. The mem
bership will have sixty days In winch
to return the ballots.
II the demands be approved and chiefs
Of the several associations say there
Ia no question as TO their approval. the
executive committees will draw up the
demands for submission to the general
managers Of the railroads.
The last OF the contracts or the engi-
neers and firemen and those OF the
Western railroads expire May IL, 1915,
and that Is the date mentioned as the
probable time for presenting the de-
mands.
The membership OF the organizations
involved numbers more h n 100000
men. These organizations are back OF
the campaign for the universal eight
hour day: brotherhood OF Locomotive
Engineers. brotherhood OF Locomotive
| Firemen and Engineers, Order of Rail
| road Conductors and Brotherhood OF
Railroad Trainmen. The move is an
| outgrUwth Of agitation that has been
| sweeping over the country for a year
and Is said TO be the greatest labor dis
pute ever advanced in any occupation.
In the general campaign to bring
about the eight hour day action was
taken separately by the three divisions
the Eastern. Southern and Western. A
Joint conference was then held and the
imaginary sectional lines OF the EN-
ployees were wiped out. II Is proposed
that one settlement he made AZ the same
time between the railroads and all en-
ployees In the transportation service.
The movement toward this ma
ton OF the Eastern. Southern n West
ern divisions of the employees and the
| resultant demands TO he voted on by the
membership follows recent arbitration
awards In the Eastern and Western
railroad sections.
II was broadly limited when tho West
ern decision giving the engineers and
n,emen only a small portion OF the wage
increase asked. was announced May l.
1915, tina, the railroad men would rene"
their demands in force when tn" terms
Of the award expired May /. 1916.
This time ] don't think there vii
he any arbitration" sa'd Timothy Shea
assistant to the president Of tho Brother
hood OF Locomotive Ffremen. ~ cours'
| am not qualified TO speak authori'a
lively. hut I have had a chance to oh
eerve the temper OF the men and 1t !.
my belief that they have had enough q
eo-called mediation.
1.-The principle Of arbitration Is eS
~cellent. hut II has been abused Wher'
the men submitted II has not beei
productive NJ the Justice for which I
was designed.
As for our intentions In the presen'
case ! do not think there Ia anything
secret about them We are going To de
mand fatty an eight hour day and tint
and u half for overtime. Failing To oh
tam that We will walk out and let th'
discussions come afterwaId. Every rail
road In the United states IL Affected"
MIR. shea was a member OF the boar
Of arbitration which heard the ain o
the employees of the Western railroad
in Chicago last spring. lie and Il. \
Burgess. assistant grand chief OF tn
brotherhood Of Engineers. signed
minority report after the men had faile'
10 GUST Charles Nagel. former Secretar.
Of Commerc. and I@tbo under Presiden
Taft, from the board.