National news. (Chicago, Ill.) 1915-19??, 1916-03-22
HEbERu|hG Of
5. j. MAKES
STATEMENT
Pres. Of SwtChmen's
Union Charges
The B. Of R.. I.

BY s. T. Heberliag. International
President of the S~itehmen's t'nioa
Of North America.
The first general job Of scabbing by
the b. Of X. T. WAS when they locked
out the switchmen on the Chicago l.
Northwestern Railroad on the llth
day of May, 1891, when they took
the switchmen's places and worked
under the protection of Pinkerton gun
men. The next general move in scab-
bing was in 1894 during the strike Of
the A. X. L. when the b. Of X. 7. and
all their emissaries used all the power
and force at their command to fill the
mems places all over the country. that
were on strike, especially the places
Of swltchmen. This job Of scabbing
more than doubled their membership
In 1898 the switchmen in the Cripple
Creek district on the Florence and
Cripple Creek Railroad, struck on &C.
count of the summary discharge Of
their committee for trying to adjust
. grievance.
The b. Of r. 7. had no agreement
Of any kind on that system and no
membership and it WAS not recognised
by the railroad At that time. but W.
G. Newman, vice president Of the B.
Of K. T.. supplied with . pas book.
hired men in Pueblo and Denver. writ
ing out the transportation for them.
misrepresenting the facts and scting
- . strike breaker for the B. Of r.
T. to break the switchmen's strike.
In 1901 the switchmen on the d. 4 r.
G. Railroad struck against deplorable
conditions. The Il. Of X. T., through
W. G. Lee. who 10 now their president.
broke the strike by eoercinG and driv.
ing his members to scsb and hiring
scabs, claiming at the time that they
were protecting q contract, but at \
joint meeting Of the o. r. c. 4 B. Of
r. T.. held in Denver during this
strike. q member Of the b. Of r. T.
Grievance Committee on the ID. 4 X.
e., By the name Of "pinky Muier,"
made the statement that il there Was
any contract or agreement on the d.
4 X. q. with the h. of r. T. he knew
nothing about il and il such contract
existed. il must be a secret agreement
between W. 6. Lee and general super
intendent Martin, to have the Brother
hood scab on the switchmen. In the
fall of 1901 the swi,chmen in the yards
of Pittsburg. Pa. struck against de
plorable conditions.
The Brotherhood Of Railroad Train
men filled their places and organized
a lodge Of the b. Of r. T. within the
stoekade. The b. of X. T. were put
on the unfair list by the Iron City
Council of Pittsburg In 1902 the
Switehmen's Union was e-organizing
in the d. 4 X. G. yard IN Denver when
members of the Il. of r. 7. Inaugural
ted an illegal strike against three of
their own members who had scabbed
the year before on the sxitchmen.
They had number OF loyal Il. Of r.
T men 10 nil their places 40 they 20,
rid OF the men who did not belong 10
the u. Of L. T as well AS the mem
bers OF the H. OF X. T. who were no.
in sympathy with their way of doing
business This coupe was brought
about IN order 10 discredit the Switch
mems Union that has absolutely moth
ing To do with this move as II was en-
gineered and carried out by mem
ber of the u. of X. T. who accom-.
plished his end IN making the yard
solid Il Of K. T In the same fall oi
I 9o2 the u. Of X. 7. scabbed on tho
switehmen IN the Dennison yard or
the VI. X 4 T. The Switchmen's
Cnion held the contract on the sys
TEN al that time. ". F. Newman
vice president Of the H. Of X T., actec
As chief strike breaker for the train
men and since then the tranmen hav.
procured one of their notorious per
centage contracts In March. 1906, tn.
switchmen struck on the Kansas Cit,
Southern