The Holt County sentinel., 1916-08-11
BIG STRIKE IMpENOS
ON ALL RAILROADS
Four Brotherhoods Make Unprec.
edented Wage Demand.
ASK FOR s,oo.coo.ooo A YEAR
All Plans For Settlement Have Been
Rejected BY erothsrhood Leaders,
Who Are Now Engaged In ratins
Strike Vote and viii Return For An.
other Conferences Early In August

Who Are Now Engaged In TAXING
Strike Vote and viii Return For An.
other corfsrsoes Early In August.
The most important strike vote In the
history Of labor disputes Is now being
tnkcn by the more thnn 3oo1J cnri
nccrs, conductors. fircmcn and brake
men employed on the railroads Of the
United States o. enforce their demand
for an Increase III wngcs estimated 10y
the railroad managers ut SiOO.OgO!pp a
year.
III many why's the situation thus ere.
ntci II absolutely unprecedented. New.
or before has n demand for 80 large a
rnisc IN i'ny l'ccn presented TO n single
group II employers Mt one time.
" the employees vote a. leave the
service the leaders " the four train
service brothcrhoods will have the
power g. declare the biggest strike ever
experienced
Never before has n strike on ali the
railroads ~ the country even been
seriously threatened The "hig four"
hruthcrio,-is ~ train employees have
heretofore confined their concerted
wngc movements to one section ~ the
country NJ n time. nni while the cn.i.
nrcrS and fircmcn ar the conductors
nni hrakrmcn have frequently Joined
IN such movements this II the first ease
IN which all four organizations have
combined to enforce an increase IN
wages
While the demands Apply only 10
freight ani switching service. except.
Ing the passenger scr,irc. all ~ the
employees VIII" nrr members f the or.
ganizatinns. ~ well ~ NIL nununion
train employees. nrc iring called upon
IT, vote for n strike. =
The train employees nrc demanding
IN eight hour "hnslc" dny-in other
words. that they shall lr raii the same
wage for eight hours ar In miles ar
less that they new receive for ten
hours nr iH miles ur less. This would
make the hourly rate "nc eighth ~ n
days iay ar the equivalent ~ twclv.
and onc.hnlf miles Instead ~ oic tenth
~ n days i'ay or III" equivalent ~ TEL,
miles They also demand time Lni
unc.inif for overtime" ar n rate Of ray
:" Ter cent higher than the regular
rate. for Nil time over eight hours ar
over the time which would hc required
:" c"mp.t" u "trip ut n speed ~ twelve
aud one half miles per hour.
The demands were formulated 10y u
committee "f the cNcruiiv" oiiircrs ~
the four bru'hrri"1ls IN Chicago last
December. und wcr" first submitted o.
u referendum vote ~ the men, The
demands were formally served "n the
roads "n March ~, with request that
the railroads nplHoini u conference com.
miiicc representing nil the roads H. ne.
rotiatc with u committee representing
the organizations.
The railroads promptly replied with
u notice that IN connection with the
proposals 81 the employees they de'
sired a. have considered certain proyi.
sluns IN the Present schedules, which
II continued IN connection with III"
higher basis ~ puy, would lrnd e. I'M
fair results and IN many eases would
multiply the incluitirs ~ double com.
rcnsntion for the sane time or sery'
lee. Arrangements were made for n
conference t. 10 he'll NJ New York he
ginning ON June I Tor the purpose of
discussing the demands. The roads
were represented by the national con
ference committee ~ the railways and
the employees by the executive OH
GERS nnd general chairmcn ~ the four
brothcrhoo,ls. The conference lasted
two weeks. The brotherhood leaders
refused to consider any mobilization Of
their demands nnd the railroads were
unwilling To grant further large In
crease IN wages to the highest paid
class Of their employees without u
mandate from some tribunal represent.
ing the public. ON June II the con.
ference committee gave the brother.
hoods formal reply declining to
gran! 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