Evening star., 1919-08-29
v. R. f. EMPLOYEES
.HALTWAGE DEMAND
Agree to Wait Until October
! for Renewal of Ne
gotiations.
ABIDE By BOARD AWARD

The Amaigamated Association of
Street and Electric Railway En-
ployes. Division S15. following a con-
tives and President Ham of the wash
ington Railway Electric Company
yesterday. has decided to wait until
October / before taking further ac-
tion on its demand for increased pay
and to abide meantime by the award
of the War Labor Board which ex-
pires on that date.
Officials OF the association stated to-
day that it was never their intention
to try to override the award but that
the demands were made early in or
der to allow both company and en-
Moves ample time to consider
changes On October the same agree
ment submitted last Friday, calling
for improvements in working condl-
tions. a 70-cent per hour wage LOT
conductors and motormen, increases
for other employees and an eight-hour
day. will be submitted to the COM
pany according to union officials
Say Merger Would Stop Discussion
The move for the merger of the
Washington Railway and Electro
and the Capital Traction lines. II sue
cessful before October l. Will ellmi-
ment now in effect with the Capital
Traction Company, union otticlals con-
tend. then would apply to both COM
panies.
J H. Goodman has been acting as
adviser for Division No. SIS during
the present situation, at the request
of the international officials. he is
business agent for Division No. 6S9.
which is a Capital Traction Company
branch of the union. but did not act IN
any except an international ofnclai
capacity during the present situation,
he said.
The Washington street car situa-
ton will be laid before a national
convention of the Amalgamated As
sociation in Chicago, September ).
Mr. Goodman will leave Monday to
represent the city at the convention.
The committee of the Brotherhood
of Electric Railroad Employees which
met with President Ham after the
committees conference
yesterday, is now considering the
statement of the cOmpanyS position
given by Mr.. Ham. Further action
meeting of the brotherhood within
the next two weeks.
Committee Issues Statement.
A statement issued by the Amalga-
mated committee this morning reads
as follows:
This committee handed a memo
randum of the proposed agreement to
w. F. Ham. president of the Wash
ington Railway and Electric Company.
on Thursday, for the purpose of en-
tering into negotiations so that mat
tiers might be settled before Octo-
Der /.
"On Thursday Mr. Ham said he
would meet and confer with the COM
mittee on this agreement. The COM
mittee was called into conference
with Mr.. Ham accordingly and ad-
abide by the War Labor Board deci-
sion, which remains in effect until
October 1. 1919. The committee agrees
with Mr.. Ham that the War Labor
Board award is still in effect The
purpose of handing in this proposed
agreement at the time we did was
to give the company ample time to
citation sufficient time to consider con-
ditions.
"Inasmuch as Mr.. Ham has refused
to enter into negotiations at this
time, we are going to live up to the
War Labor Board award and expect
to reopen the question on October /,
1919 The proposed agreement now in
the hands of Mr.. Ham is the one that
will be under negotiation on Oc-
tober /.
I'VE feel that the company by that
time will have had plenty of time to
study the proposal and will meet
with the committee. We think that
a satisfactory agreement can be
worked out"