The Medina sentinel. [volume] (Medina, Ohio) 1888-1961, 1917-12-14
STRIKE TIES UP
SOUTHWESTERN

SOUTHWESTERN
With the Cleveland, Southwestern
& Columbus railroad it seems to be
just zone - thing after another"
Whether the company was born on
Friday, or neglects to tap on wood
once in while, isn't known, but that
II is dogged by Nemesis can hardly be
denied. Damage suits have erst-
while been it's long suit, with storm
hold-up a close second. Within the
week it has had a stomach-full of the
latter, topped off with full-fedged
strike by its car men.
At 2 o'clock Monday morning a
strike of 300 trainmen on the South
western stopped all traffic over the
entire system of PIT miles. The men
were working under contract which
has until April /, 1918, to run, under
which first year men receive % cents
an hour, second year men 80 cents,
and third year men 80 cents. Train
men assert the company failed to rec
ognize them when it was given a Is
per cent. increase in passenger fares
by the State Utilities Commission, and
that train dispatcher and men at
barns were allowed to take cars out
on the system.
The employees also declare that men
in sub-stations are working IL hours
day at 16 1-2 cents an hour. They
declared the company had violated
nine of twenty-eight sections of it's
agreement, but the grievances were
not enumerated.
Tracks of the company are buried
beneath snow, and tons of it will have
to be shoveled aside before cars can
be operated in the event of a settle
ment before a thaw.
The strike has been the means of
setting back business of all kinds
along the entire line of the company's
system, especially with regards to
mails, express and freight, being per-
haps even more noticeable because Of
the increased holiday trade.
Milk shippers have found other
means of getting their product to the
city, at great inconvenience, but sew
eral farmers are reported to have suf-
fered severe losses during the first
day or two Of the strike because Of
ignorance that a strike was on. They
deposited their filled cans at the sta
tions as usual, only to discover later
that they had not been removed and
the cans were bursted.
Two or three conferences were held
this week between the representatives
OF the strikers and railroad officials,
but without arriving at any satisfac-
& tory agreement, consequently traffic on
4 le liines iR still tied up. sssss
thwestern has prepared the fol
lowing statement for the Sentinel,
which sets forth the company's claim
relating to the strike:
III In April, 1916, the train employees
Of the company made a request for a
certain wage scale, namely:
28 cents per hour for 1st year men.
80 cents per hour for End year men.
SO cents per hour for 3rd year men.
About seventy five percent of the
trainment are in the 3rd year class.
The company granted this request
without any endeavor to negotiate at
lower rates, and contract was enter
ed into between the company and the
association of which the men are mem
bers, at said rates.
In April, 1917, the men desired some
notifications of this contract in re-
(. lation to the working conditions. These
notifications were granted, and there
X upon new contract was entered into
in April of this year, continuing until
. the first day Of April, 1918, and there
after, unless either party served 30
I, days written notice of a desire to
J change.
' Last week Saturday the men pre-
Z sented to the Executive Committee Of
, the railroad company, demand for
an increase Of eight cents per hour
to each of the three classes of en-
Z ployes.
The company offered to enter into
a contract to be dated and made ef-
fective from the first day of Decem-
Der, 1917, to expire one year from next
April, at an increase Of four cents an
hour to each class of men.
The men declined to accept this prop
osition and have gone out on strike.
On Dec. 10, the company telegraph
ed to w. D. Mahon, President of the
Amalgamated Association of Street
and Electric Employees of America, De-
troit, Mich, as follows: NJ
"Take notice that Division No.
$50 Of Elyria, Ohio, has violated
it's contract dated April 1st, this
year, and all trainmen have left
the company's service"
I The company Wednesday received
the following telegram from Presi-
dent Mahon:
"Detroit, Mich. Dec. IL, 1917.
"Your communication notifying
us that Division $50, of Elyria
had violated its contract and sus-
pended work, received. In reply
/ would inform you that the mem
bers of this division have taken
this action contrary to our laws
and against our advice.
(signed) w. d. MAHON Y
The company makes this announce.
ment Of the situation SO that the pub.
lie may be fully advised.
iEeH4N iN W -~--S-
NO HOME COMING FOR w
CAMP SHERIDAN BOYS?