The Birmingham age-herald., 1918-05-30
Egnployes Operating Under Contract Issue Statement
 Regarding Conditions
NO INTENTION
 TO DECLARE STRIKE
Appreciate Company's Position, But Feel That Wages Are Still Not in Keeping With Present
 Conditions

At meeting of the directors of the Birmingham Railway, Light and Power company, held at noon yesterday, vol- untary increase of cents an hour was given tfe conductors and motormen en- ployed by thu company. This is the sec ond voluntary increase given them with in the last few weeks.
 The contract between the company and the conductors and motormen calls cents for the new employees to B cents an hour for those who have been in tine service certain number of years. The two voluntary increases granted, or bonuses. as the increases are designated, bring the gay of the men up to mini mum Of 26 cents an hour and a maximum of B cents.
 The company is called upon to meet very serious situation, according to the statement of President J. $. Pevear in The Age-Herald yesterday. Through the draft and the alluring wage offers of industrial plants, large precentage of the carmen have already left it's employ
 
 to President Pevear, that the street railway system would be seriously ham, pered in it's operations.
 STATEMENT BY EMPLOYES
 The street railway employees, through their president. R. P. Bernhardt, last night issued the following statement: TO the Citizens of Birmingham:
 Due to the many wild rumors afloat that the street railway employees were going out on strike, thereby causing cessation of street railway service and further, the publicity giving the action of the board of directors of the company in granting voluntary Sc per hour raise to it's motormen and conductors, we deem it due the citizens of Birmingham as well ourselves, to state our position in the present wage controversy between the company and it's trainmen
 The employees of this company are unionzed, and have bona fide contract with the company, negotiated in 1916. This contract has been lived up to by the Amalgamated Association of Street and Electric Railway employees, even at a great personal sacrifice of it's member ship.
 There will be no strike. The com pany will in nowise be intimidated, nor W III dllN IlOSliiS IcSiSldtlCe De HlddC " their efforts to operate. However. un- fortunately. our organization signed up a contract at a wage scale which was req sonably fair at the time the contract was esctiated. but 1t is entirely inadequate during this national emergency to meet even modest living conditions.
 "The company has lost q great many men, and due to their inability to fill these places at the present wage scale, it has necessitated reduced service, which requires longer hours of work and more Intense labor.
 SCALE STILL INADEQUATE
 We have appealed to the management for relief and they granted us Pc bonus in March and have offered a Sc increase at today's meeting of the Grectors. They claim that this is all they can do, and we believe that under existing conditions that they have done their best. However, tho pregnant fact remains that even with this increase our wage scale Is made quate and far under the amount univer- sally paid for similar work In this dis trict
 Therefore, as individuals. we don t feel justified in accepting this increase as a final answer to our request We do not feel as simply performing service for the publics convenience and neces- sity that we, as individuals, should con tinue to perform work at standard wage not compatible with modest liv- ing conditions, when opportunities are of fered us daily to better our condition.
 This is our chosen work A large number of our employees are old in the service, trained to safely handle the pub lie. We have done our part in every patriotic movement fostered in this com ml.aliry Our service flag contains over 200 stars We are earnestly willing to continue to do our part. We have no de- sire to impair the industrial or business interest of this community and we hope that the people will recognize our rights for suitable wage scale. and join us in any effort to bring about conditions whereby it may be made possible.
 "Ihe situation with us is acute and, it is imperative that prompt measures be taken to remedy our condition. Very truly, B. P. BERNHARDT. Pres.