Omaha daily bee., 1918-12-06
STRIKERS WRONG- WARBOARD;
OLD RIGHTS BACK IF RETURN
Joint Chairman Taft and
Manly Appeal to Omaha
Carmen to Resume Work
and Keep Agreement.

Chairmen Taft and Manly
of the national war labor
board telegraphed to Ben A.
Short, president of the local
Garments union, Wednesday
afternoon, stating that the
boards finding in the case is
that the present strike is a vio-
lation of good faith on the
part of the employees and ad-
vising them to end the strike
at once.
The telegram is as follows:
Washington, D. c. December S
Ben A. Short, President Car
mems union, Omaha, Neb. We are
informed that after securing an
award raising your wages from this
section of the national war labor
board the members of your union
have struck because the company
refused to make a contract with
your union. Under the principles of
this board you have no right to in
sist upon such contract and your
striking is violation of good faith
on your part.
I'VE have conferred with Mr..
Vahey, your lawyer, who agrees
with us in this view.
we say to you that good faith
requires you to end the strike and
resume your work under the award
of the board and the benefits OF
which you have accepted.
WILLIAM H. TAFT.
BASIL M. MANLY"
Mayor Issues Appeal.
Mayor Smith also received tele-
gram from w. Jett Lauck, secretary
of the national war labor board, ad-
,, vising him that the telegram had
| been sent
Il don't see how the men can
possibly remain on strike in face Of
such an opinion from such source"
he said.
He Immediately issued a letter to.
TIE employees of the street railway
company, urging them to return to
work. The letter is as follows.
TO the Employees of the Omaha
& Council Bluffs Street Railway:
l am advised that the war labor
board at Washington, of which Ex-
| President Taft and Mr.. Manley are
Joint chairmen, have telegraphed
your organization advising you to
return to your work, to act in good
faith with your employers, and noti-
flying you that you should not at
this time insist upon a recognition
of your union by a signed contract.
This request, coming from so
high authority, is equivalent to a
request from the government of
the United States.
II know that all of you are loyal
American citizens and as mayor of
the city l appeal to you and each
of you to accede to this request from
the war labor board and return to
your respective places of employ
ment.
Thousands Affected.
"Do not let it be said that any of
you have, in the least degree, array
ed yourselves against the duly con-.
stituted authorities of the United
States government. No man can
afford to have that charge placed
against him.
Thousands of men and women,
many of whom are employees in diff
ferent establishments in Omaha, have
been seriously inconvenienced and
mary of them rendered unable to
reach their various PLACES OF en-
ployment because of the discon-
tinuance of street car service. A
continuation of your strike will
bring untold misfortune to them
and will result in placing yourselves
in open defiance of the war labor
board through whose order you
haze enjoyed largely incteased
wages during the past few months.
Asks Return to Work.
Il most earnestly urge YOU TO re-
turn to your work and | pl.dg. NY
word of honor that | will use every
power at my command ald every
ounce of energy possess to aid
you in adjusting any just grievance
that you may have with your en-
plcyer and to overcome any unnec-
essary hardship that may at any
time surround your employment.
Let us spend our energies tc-
ward building up the city of Omaha
and not toward destroying our.
selves. ED. p. SMITH, Mayor