Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1918-05-31
SILvISSHOP
MEN GO OUT
ON ASTR|KE
Two Hundred Employees
of Rock Island Road
Walk Out Today.

Two thousand employees of the
Rock Island road at the Silvis
shops, acting in conjunction with
shop crews of SO other railroads,
went out on a strike at 1915 this
afternoon.
Standing pat on their announced
intention of quitting unless the
government reconsidered its recent
award of two cents more an hour,
making their wages So cents an
hour, and in its place give them 10
cents, machinists and four other
allied crafts employed at Silvis left
the plant at 1915 today when their
ultimatum was to become effective,
and when the o'clock whistle blew
one of the men had returned to
his post. The storehouse workers
are not included as yet. but proba-
bly, will be this afternoon, when
common laborers are due to quit.
There was no demonstration con-
nected with the walkout. For weeks
and months, it is claimed, the mat
/ ter of compensation has been under
almost daily consideration. When
Director General W. G. Mcdoo an
nounced his award a few days ago,
granting an increase of two cents
an hour, their was instant dissatis-
! faction, the men claiming that ship
yard craftsmen were recently
/ granted an increase amounting to a
minimum of II cents for similar
grades of work. The men after
! series of conferences wired Direc-
| tor McAdoo a few days ago that the
wage scale fixed was in their Optn-
ion unfair and discriminatory in
favor of the shipyards craft; that
the award should be based on wages
of Dec. 81, 1917, instead of Dec. 81,
1915; that the increases apply
| largely to inexperienced and lower
grade employees, while penal1zlng
those who have won advancement
on a merit basis in the last two
years, so that many Of the latter
get no increases whatever.
Director General McAdoO was
also informed that unless the fig
ure of rs cents and an eight-hour
day was met, the Silvis employees
would leave today at noon. All day
yesterday open air and other meet
ings were held among the men to
consider the situation, and last ev-
ening another final session was
held at Industrial hall, Rock Is
land, when it was again decided TO
| insist on the advance asked and to
| strike if the figure was not met at
noon today.
This morning Director McAdoo
at Washington issued a strong
statement in which he warned the
shop craftsmen they were federal
employees and that in this hour of
national crisis the men should well
consider their patriotic duty to this
country before going out on strike,
but when the hour of IL approach
ed the men began quietly to get
ready for their departure and at
1915 stopped their work.
On account of the labor situation
it probably will be very difficult for
the government to get machinists,
and it is freely confessed that I'M
less some compromise is made
1 Uncle Sam will be seriously handi-
capped by the strike which is af-
fecting railroads throughout the
country.
Administration Acts.
Washington, May 31.-The rail-
road administration announced to-
day that it would send a representa-
tive Immediately to Moline, Ill, TO
investigate the walkout at the Rock
| Island Silvis shops.
Cleveland, Ohio, May 31.-The
four chief executives of the rail-
road mems brotherhoods-G
Chief Warren S. Stone of the en-
! gineers, President w G. Lees of the
| trainmen, Timothy S. Shea, acting
president of the fremen and en-
! ginemen, and President A. S. Gar
retson of the conductors-conferr
here today on the recent advance
granted the railroad employees by
Director General McAdoo.
| Within a week or 10 days the ex-
ecutive committees of the four
| brotherhoods will meet in Washing
ton to discuss the situation, it was
7