Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1920-07-20
Rail Labor Board to Hand Down First
Award Today Advance Figures Indi-
cate s50O,0OO,OO0 to s6O0,OOO,000
Instead Of Billion Asked Union.
Officials Silent on Its Accept
ance--W Watching Big
Five Group
WATCHING BIG FIVE

The most closely watched con-
ference of rail leaders today was taae
of the Big Five group. comprising
The brotherhoods of Railway Engi-
ners. Firemen. Conductors. Trainmen
and Swltchmen. Representatives Of
the SIX decorations of shop crafts. IN
Guiding the biacksmiths. boilermak-
ers. carpenters anu electricians. also
were in session. while leaders of the
maintenance Of way employees clerks
freight handlers and laborers me, In
several conferences N downtown no.
teIs.
There Is nothing % be said yet
SAID Warren s. stone. grand chief
OF the Brotherhood OF Locomotive
Engineers We are here TO receive
the awards Of the Railroad Labor
Board tomorrow. None Of Us Knows
what the awards will be We ara
talking things over today
5rotherhoods TO Meet
Immediately on the announcement
Of the award tomorrow the grand
council Of the broth erhouds VIII be
called. N the first session in more
than A year Sixteen groups of rail
workers will De represented ana they
Will act upon the award. section by
section How long the session VIII
last IS probIemaccal. leaders SAID.
At the general meeting of the
kilduE. chairman of the engineers
union on Rock Island system was
elected chairman. credentials of all
union representatives were carefully
examined before t1ev were allowed
to pass through 4 closely guarded
dSor. Secrecy marked the meeting
ana newspaper men were not per-
nTt-ed 70 attend.
Unions Not Bound 20 Accept
The only union leader here who
was out-spoken concerning the SIT
ua1ion was :. Z. Eeberling. president
of the Swltchmen Union of North
America He declared the unions
were not bound 70 accept the awards.
Asserting that he should not ike
10 see the general strike called" Mr..
Eeberiing said that with the switch
men asking 70 per cent increase. a
ompromlse would hardly be accept
able
IF the award IS not sufficient TO
assure us i decent living wage wa
will take concerted action" he said
Rebels Seek Recognition
While the recognized Brotherhood
ChIeTs ware n session another g-oup
representing the new rail- union
which were organized al the time OF
the rail strike N Apr,l, met under
the leadership of John C=runau. pres
dent of the Chicago Tar1mens As
soc,aron. 70 formulate plans Of their
own They nave asked that their
seniority nights be restored. but the
board refused 20 hear their repre-
senta1lves here several weeks ago
and Il was understood that the
awards would not touch on their
status.
We are not ready 70 say at this
-me Just what we VIII DO SAID
John GrsInau- But I don't believe
the men viii be satisfied with the
award according 10 advance reports
I've heard OF the terms. As soon as
the award becomes public we VIII
call A mass meeting of the men In
the Chicago Switching district Tho
action taken viii D. telegraphed to
all locals and they can either indorse
Or reject the action taken here"
Grunau was 70 have appeared be-
fore a United States Commissioner
today % answer a charge Of con-
splracy but by agreement the case
was continued until August y