The Connecticut labor press. (New Haven, Conn.) 191?-1921, 1920-05-01
TROLLEYwEN Get
AGREEMENT READY
FOR PRESENTATION
New Wage Scale to Be Asked
When Contract Expires
Next Month.
NO TROUBLE EXPECTED
Connecticut Co. Apparently Not
in Movement to Disrupt
Unions.

While there is as yet no intimation
hereabouts that the Connecticut Com
pany will join the other railway man.
agements of the country in their efforts
to ignore and disrupt the railway work
ers unions, the men on the Connecticut
system are eagerly awaiting the out
come of the presentation of new wage
agreement, within few days, to re-
place the present agreement which ex-
pires in June. The new agreement is
practically ready with the state con-
ference board, following meetings and
votes taken by the several local unions
about the state during the past few
months.
r 1t of course provides for an increase
in wages but the conference board will
not, of course, make that public until
the agreement has first been submitted
TO the company officials There was
quite a difference in sentiment about
the state as TO the amount the increase
should be made, but the conference
board has sifted this down until it has
reached what it considers a fair
factory to the men and that of the COM
pany, under the increased revenue un-
der the zone system, can meet.
The CLOSED shop" agreement has been
IN force with the Connecticut company
for many years and while at times the
differences have had to be referred to
arbitrators, in which Mayor FitzGera1d
of New Haven, acted on several occas-
ions as an "odd man." they have al
ways been amicably. settled and there
for there is no trouble anticipated here
now.
Such is not the case elsewhere, how
ever. In Buffalo, for instance, where
new wage demands were presented a
short time ago, the company not only
did not grant the increase asked but
arbitrarily and ernphatically kicked
OUT the closed shop agreement that has
existed for seven years. The company
does grant the man an increase to 90
cents an hour and says that it expects
to meet this by raising the fares from
FIVE to seven cents 1t also refused to
consider an eight hour clause with over
time for extra hours. The company's s
ult1matum was to go into effect tonor-
row but was unanimously rejected by
the workers, who are strongly and ac-
lively organized and trouble may ensue
Several other street railway COM
panies about the country have adopted
similar tactics but as yet they have not
ICdCIlCu CTlSlS. mere mas D6en nIIle
labor trouble on the street railway lines
in the past few years, the men in the
main phf1osophically accepting condi-
tions, remaining on their jobs to the
convenience of the riding public and
hoping for justice when the roads got
around to- it. The sentiment of the
Connecticut company has been lately to
meet the men half way, and the men
have certainly done their. part as wit
messed during the past winter when they
worked long and hard to help the COM
pany out of its traction troubles. Their
attitude on the change to the zone sys-
tenn also aided the company greatly in
rrtting that over and therefore the men
feel that the company will be in "re-
ceptive mood" at least on their coming
demands.
As another instance offsetting the
Buffalo action. is the action of the New
Jersey company this week, in announc-
ing 10 per cent voluntary raise for
all its workers. 1t affects $500 men
and gSes into effect tomorrow and
covers l46 cities and towns in New Jer-
sey. Union conditions prevail on all
lines.