New-York tribune., 1919-08-06
B. II. r. Men
Vote to Strike
5 A. M. To-day
continued from page I

nave pccn chartered, Auu may n1OLO,
trucking concerns have leased their
cars Vans and sightseeing cars alst
have been pressed into service.
Garrison's Position Made Clear
Mr.. Garrison had fatty rejected
earlier in the day the ultimatum of the
union employees, which demanded
among other things, full recognition
of the union
The reply was rendered to Edward
Smith, chairman of the committee rep
resenting the union employees. 1t hat
been speedily decided on after Mr.. Gar
rison returned to the city from New
Hampshire He made it plain that he
would deal only with his own men and
not with an "outside organization.'
His statement follows:
81 have the communication from your
committee delivered on August d, 1919
informing me of a mass meeting held
on Friday night, August /, and Of g
resolution passed at such meeting. Ir
your communication you state: This
quests, chief among which are: Cd Re-
instatement of all employees heretofore
discharged for union activities, (2) rec
ognition of the union to which the en-
ployes belong, CD an increase in wages
for all employees rs cents an hour for
all trainmen and similar and proper
tionatc increase for all others employed
in different capacities (this applies to
all women employees as we'll as the
mem, (4) an eight-hour day.
Ordered to Report Back
"You further inform me that an
other meeting of the employees has been
called for Tuesday night, at which we
have been instructed to report result
Of our interview with you'
III am informed that when this COM
munication was delivered an answer was
demanded by o'clock Tuesday evening,
and also that Article was your prn-
clpal demand.
"The mass meeting referred to by
YOU was called and held under the aus
pices Of the Amalgamated Association
Of Street and Electric Railway EN-
ployes of America, and, | am informed |,
was attended by less than 1000 of the
$4,000 employees of the system, and that
only small minority of .he employees
are members of the association.
Your association is fully informed
OF my attitude in respect of recognizing
IT. AS you are aware, this matter was
raised last March, and | then took the
position, which | now maintain, that |
viii not deal with outside organiza-
IL. |
always willing to deal with the en-
ployes Of the system in respect of any
matters affecting them, but + will not
deal with outside organizations
Your frank statement that the sec
ond article of your demand-namely,
the recognition of the unon-is YOUR
principal demand rids the situation of
any confusion, and as that is the main
issue it is not useful to take up in de-
tail the other matters adverted to in
your communication.
Cannot Accede to This
Briefly referring to them, know of
no ms lance when any employe has
been discharged for union activities. If
what you mean is that | must not dis
charge men for offences if they hap
pen to also be members of the union. I
certainly cannot accede to this.
IN respect to the matter of wages
and decreased hours of labor. which is
merely another form Of increasing
wages, 1T is a fact that recent increases
have been made in all departments.
and our men and women are being
paid the highest wages ever paid in
greater New York to street railway
employees.
There have been no substantial ad
vances in the cost of living since the
increases in wages. and no legitimate
basis, therefore, would seem to exist
for any renewed demands in this re-
spect. In addition thereto, the fnan-
cial situation of the system is such
that 1t has not the money under exist
ing conditions to pay increases.
81 cannot believe that employees of
the system will lend themselves to this
attempt Of an outside organization to
intrude itself into their affairs. Any
of them who do so are certainly not
acting in their own interests, as it will
only result in their losing their pres
ent positions.
Speaks for the Public
"Those who travel on the system and
the public in general, convinced as
they must be that under present con-
ditions we are doing all that is possi-
BILE, will not look with favor upon the
great loss they will suffer if the issue
of recognizing your association is
forced at this time, and strike re-
suits with all its attendant losses.
"Those who have the interests Of
our employees sincerely at heart will
realize that this is not the way to go
about helping them. We stand ready
to do whatever is possible for us to do
are too obvious to require restate-
ment, we cannot surrender the rights
thus to deal with our employees to an
outside organization.
IF your organization proposes to
force the issue of union recognition
we can do nothing more than I have
done. namely, candidly state our posi-
ton and trust that good sense and
good Judgment will avert the general
loss and trouble which will otherwise
ensue. Sincerely yours.
"LINDLEY NJ. GARRISON"
Those Who Will Be Involved
The proposed strike will affect the
motormen and conductors on the sur
face lines, the subway and elevated
guards and conductors, and the shop
men and mechanical employees of the
system. The motormen and towermen
and maintainers of the subway and
elevated lines are not affiliated with
the car mems unions and will not be
affected by a strike order.
Superintendents of the various car
barns were called in consultation and
extra police protection has been asked
Despite these signs, r. r. T. officials
declare they will offer service to the
public,
Mr.. Garrison pointed out that there
are 1900 employees of the system
and members of the 3. R. IT. Bene-
hclal Association. and that fewer than
LOCO had attended the meeting called
by the leaders of the strike clement
Mr.. Smith. the union leader, claims
TO have $500 members
Union officials hope for a walkout
OF the elevated and subway motormen
who are not members of the car men >
union. but belong TO RrOthnrbooJ of