The sun., 1919-04-12
STRIKE TUESDAY ON
B. R. 7. Is PREDICTED
Receiver Garrison Refuses
Hylan's Request to Treat
With Union Committee.
WORKERS MEET MONDAY
Company Says Many Men Seek
Jobs and All That Walk Out
Will Lose Places.

II II not unlikely that . strike OF the
union employees OF the Brooklyn Rapid
Transit system will be called for Tues
day night. So said members OF the new
labor organization last night.
The statement spread quickly to all
tic branches Of the - stem. together with
the news that Lindley NJ Garrison re-
ceiver for the company. emphatically de-
nounced the activities OF the AmalgaIn-
atod Association in a letter to Mayor
Hylan yesterday. in which he refused to
comply with the Mayors request for q
hearing on the demands OF the new
union. ... .v...t '.
william Collins. v,ce-president OF the
Association. after a meet
ing with the union committee In the
Hotel Continental last night, ANNOUNCED
that a mass meeting of all the employees
of the B. r. T. system would be held
Monday night in Arcadia Hall. Haisey
street and Broadway, Brooklyn.
While the executive committee Of the
union employees Is empowered by the
strike vote OF last Tuesday to declare
walkout when all efforts to effect an
amicable settlement OF the dispute have
failed" p. J. OBrien, national organiser
OF the association, said that no strike
would be called until after a general
meeting of the mon. when they will be
notified what the committee has done to
reach an agreement with the company
s1d the result.
Decision on Monday Night.
The employees understand that this
Information will be given to them at the
meeting Monday. and that tho strike will
be called in twenty-four hours. No rep
resentative of tho National War Labor
Goard reached here yesterday to at
tempt mediation.
All employees Of the system who Join
the strike II it is called next week will
he dismissed. and new men promptly
hired to oil their Jobs. B. r. T. officials
assert.
The company Is not planning to en-.
ploy strikebreakers. There are several
thousand applications for Jobs on the
waiting list now. and hundreds OF SOL
diers and sailors will be hired at a mo-
ment's notice. SO that the company
doubts greatly that the strike will be a
success. As serious as the situation
seemed last night with the emphatic re-
fusal OF Receiver Garrison 70 treat with
the new union, ofiicials Of the b r. T.
still chung to the opinion that the mon
would not quit.
Garrison's Letter. to Hylan.
Mr.. Garrison's letter to the Mayor
follows:
mt DEAR Mr. MAYoR-I received yes
terday your letter dated April 8, In
which you inform me that a committee
composed Of William Riley. Adam Kop-
man and Arnold willer called on you
and requested aid in bringing about an
srnicable settlement between the en-
p!oyees and the Brooklyn Rapid Transit,
that had refused 70 see and confer
With them on adjusting their working
conditions, and further that they are
oesirous Of having an opportunity TO
confer with me to the end that their
conditions OF employment may be i'm
proved. and concluding by urging me to
grant their request for a hearing
1T Is not the Sact that the committee
which waited upon you ever waited upon
me and that had refused to see them.
mo one of the three men whose names
are stated by you as composing tho COM
mittee Is an employee OF the Brooklyn
Rapid Transit system. and II 10 there
fore out Of the question for me to see
and confer with them about their work
ing conditions to the end that their
conditions of employment may be i'm
proved. ! presume that they are acting
on behalf of the Amalgamated Associa-
ton OF Street and Electric Railway En-
ployees of America.
The Brooklyn Rapid Transit system
has about $4,000 employees. I am and
always have been willing to meet at any
time with committees selected by these
employees and representatives of them
am not willing to and will not deal
with or meet committees selected not
by the body OF the employees. but only
by such as are members OF the ANAL
gamated. In this question the great
body or our employees Is not concerned
They have appointed no committees,
presented no demands and have not In
fact participated in them. The minority.
who does not represent even one-half
OF the employees. Is attempting to create
differences with the management Of the
system and TO force the management TO
deal with this outside organization.
TN your letter you refer to an annie
sbA settlement of the difficulties be-
iTeen the employees and the Brooklyn
Rapid Transit There 10 no difficulty
OF which ! have any knowledge except
ing such as arises out OF the attempt By
the Amalgamated Association to secure
recognition.
1.-The propriety Of the position Of the
management in refusing to permit itself
10 be forced to do this is too clear Ia
reouire elaboration.
1T would be a most wanton and inex-
cusable thing II this organization, under
the circumstances. should attempt tc
compel the yielding to its demands fol-
recognition by means of a strike.
The immediate effect on the men in.
VOWED would be to cause them to lose
their positions. It IL not my intention &c
attempt to fill temporarily the positions
or any men who thus leave the smplo,
Of the company by the employment OF
strike breakers or other temporary en-
pioy ees, but 1t is my intention TO nj
permanently each vacancy occasionet
by any employee who leaves the com
psny upon this issue.
The effects upon the public and tn,
tremendous loss which will be caused [,
hose whose necessities require them I,
use tho road are too obvious to requir,
more than statement.
IT regret that under the circumstance
! am not able to aoquiesce IN the matte
OF the reception OF a committee repre-
senting tho Amalgamated Association
Discharged Man IL Arrested.
The union men were aroused yester
day by the arrest OF Irving Haft, al
employee who was discharged Wednes
day. He attended the meeting OF unioi
men in Arcadia Hall the night befor
and was dismissed the next day. he sayI
without reason.
Several other union men have bee
discharged and as result Superintend