The Madison daily leader. [volume] (Madison, S.D.) 1890-current, 1916-08-23
ZIG STRIKE IMPENDS
ON ALL RAILROADS
Four Brotherhoods Make Unprec-
edented Wage Demand.
ASK FOR S1OO, 900 A YEAR

All Plans For Settlement Have Been
Rejected by Brotherhood Leaders.
Who Are Now Engaged In Taking
Strike Vote and Will Return For An
other Conference Early In August.
The most important strike vote I'm the
history OF labor disputes Is now being
taken by the more than 10000 engi
neers. conductors, iremen and brake
men employed on the railroads OF the
United States TO enforce their demand
for an increase In wages estimated by
the railroad managers at 500. 100000 a
year.
In many ways the situation thus ere
ated is absolutely unprecedented. New
er before has a demand for 80 large a
raise In pay been presented TO a single
group of employers at one time.
III the employees vote to leave the
service the leaders of the four train
service brotherhoods will have the
power to declare the biggest strike ever
experienced.
Never before has a strike on all the
railroads of the country even been
seriously threatened. The big four"
b~rotherhoods OF train employees have
heretofore confined their concerted
wage movements to one section of the
country at a time, and while the engi
neers and firemen or the conductors
and brakemen have frequently joined
In such movements this Is the first case
In which all four organizations have
combined to enforce an increase In
wages.
While the demands apply only to
freight and switching service. except.
ing the passenger service. all of the
employees who are members of the or
ganizations. as well as all ~nonunion
train employees. are being called upon
TO vote for a strike.
The train employees are demanding
an eight hour basic" day-in other
words, that they shall be paid the same
wage for eight hours or 100 miles or
less that they now receive for ten
hours or 100 miles or less. This would
make the hourly rate one-eighth OF a
days pay or the equivalent of twelve
and one-half miles instead of one-tenth
of a days pay or the equivalent OF ten
! miles. They also demand time and
one-half for overtime" or a rate OF pay
80 per cent higher han the regular
rate. for all time owe eight hour or
over the time which would be required
to complete a trip at a speed of twelve
and one-half miles per hour.
The demands were formulated by n
committee OF the executive officers or
/ the four brotherhoods I'm Chicago last
December, and were first submitted to
a referendum vote OF the men. The
demands were formally served on the
roads ON March 80, with a request that
the railroads appoint a conference COM
mittee representing all ther roads to ne
gotiate with a committee representing
The organizations.
The railroads promptly replied with
a notice that I'm connection with the
proposals OF the employees they de-
sired to have considered certain provi-
sions I'm the present schedules, which
Ii continued In connection with the
J kuC DdSlS vi pays WVhtu - e1
fair results and In many cases would
multiply the inequities OF double COM
: pensation for the same time or serv-
: ice. Arrangements were made for a
! conference to be held at New York be-
D ginning on June / for the purpose Of
discussing the demands. The roads
] were represented by the national con-
] ference committee OF the railways and
: the employees by the executive Off
! GERS and general chairmen OF the four
brotherhoods. The conference lasted
two weeks. The brotherhood leaders
: refused TO consider any modification or
+ their demands and the railroads were
+ unwilling to grant a further large In.
. crease In wages to the highest paid
: class of their employees without a
+ mandate from some tribunal represent.
: ing the public. On June Is the con-
: ference committee gave the brother
: hoods n formal reply declining to
grant the demands. but proposing that
+ the entire controversy be settled, pref
: erably by submission Of the entire
. question to the Interstate commerce
commission or else by arbitration un-
: der the Newlands law. Both plans for
!. a settlement were rejected by the
. brotherhood leaders, who announced
!. their intention OF taking q strike vote
: and returning for another conference
early In August