New-York tribune., 1920-08-24
400 Baggage
Men Quit; May
Check Travel
Express Companies Say Busi.
ness Will Be Suspended;
Taxi Workers Discuss
Refusal TO Handle Trade
Great Congestion Feared
Employers Assert Raise Cam
not Be Granted; Sym
patlly Strike Is Feared

More than 400 baggagemen emplovod
by the New York Transfer and West
co1t Express companies went on strike
al midnight for more pay and shorter
hours. The transfer companies intond
TO close up shop in consequence and
employees of the Black and White Tax;
company were discussing last night p
suggestion that they refuse to handle
baggage during the strike.
August is the busiest month of the
year IN the baggage transfer business
Beng the month in which the last of
the great throng Of vacationists denart
and IN which they and most of those
VINO went before them return to tho
city. The companies affected hv the
strike handle about so per cent of the
clty's baggage transfer business.
The men voted in favor of a strike
at p. m. and the strike became ef-
1ectlve three hours later. They de-
mand an cight-hour day instead of one
or nlne hours, and weekly pay as
follows: 90
For chauffeur, s3e; double wagon.
SS4; single wagon, $50; helper. $40 and
for overtime work 81 an hour fat rate
They have been getting: Chauffeur.
$26; double wagon, $25; single wagon
S2l.6O; helper, $21.60, and rs cents an
hour overtime
Reject Companies Offer
The men rejected the companies Of
Tor of an increase of So week and eight
n
gerald, president, and Martin Mason.
business agent of their union, Local
645, said the union had been recog-
n!zed and no issue is involved except
working conditions.
The union officials announced that
1000 men would be on strike. The com
panics said they would not employ
strikebreakers, but would suspend
business.
Michael Cashell, district council
official Of the international Brother
hood of Teamsters, Chauffeurs, Stable
men and Helpers, refused to estimate
the chances of a sympathetic strike,
but said that unions affiliated with the
baggage men would meet soon to take
some action.
Thomas j. Lyons, secretary of the
American Express drivers, said the
baggage men are restless because the
express drivers of the country received
$4,000, 900 increase in pay by govern
ncnt order.
Baggage Piles Up
Conditions in railway stations ind-
Gated that a great pile-up of baggage
would result. The New York Transfer
Company, Dodd's Express, employing
about 800 men, and the Westcott Ex-
press Company, with about $50 men,
stopped taking new orders a day ahead
Of the unions meeting anticipating a
strike vote.
Travellers with trunk checks crowded
around baggage transfer desks, vanly
questioning clerks, who declared the
transfer men were taking a vacation
and that they thcms selves were quitting
business and didn't know who might be
interested in hauling trunks for money
Baggage began to pile up in the sta
tiOns, to be held at 25 cents the first
day and 10 cents each day thereafter
1t is estimated that 10000 pieces Of
baggage come into New York daily at
this time.
Asked regarding demands of the New
York Transfer Company's men, F. w.
Draper, president, in his office at 1854
Broadway, declared that they apparent
ly wanted to put the company out of
business. He said the demand
amounted to an increase in pay of 80
per cent, and that the character of the
transfer business made it impossible
to grant an eight-hour day. He said
the men made their demands two weeks
ago. The workers would make $40 a
week, on ten-hour day if their de-
mands we're granted, he added, whereas
$45 is their average wage now.
w. d. Quackenbush, chief clerk of
the Westcott Express Company, said
the suspension of business might be
permanent because the companies were
making only a small profit now. He
said the company would have to in
crease it's rates to the public over so
per cent to meet employees demands.
These rates are subject to action by
the Public Service Commission, 1st
District