Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1920-08-03
j, S. CLERK union
STEPS IN AND MAY
HALT D. c. STRIKE
Commissioners Stand Held
Right, But Navy Yard
Scale Requested.

SCdtc ncuuCStCus
Probability of a strike by the City
Employees Association. which might
tie UP water. sewerage and garbage
systems OF the city. was lessened to-
CAV through the intervention of the
Federal Employees Union. No SO.
REPRESENTATIVE of this union today
presented to the Commissioners letter
indorsing the latter's stand upon re-
view of the navy YARD wage scaie On
ynent declaring against strike OF
District workers
They advocated. however. point
which has been fought for by the cry
Employees Association in making the
navy yard wage scale a st2noaru LUZ
Der diem District employees
Strike Ballot i'm Doubt.
~. strike ballot scheduled to be
taken at tonight's meeting.of the Clty
Employees Association, at 1sVe NJ
street. may be avoided as result
of today's developnhe nts
President George A. Howe. Secre,
tary H E. Saffell and: Miss Ethel
presented the District commissioners
with the letter in question, IN Whlch
the union stated:
I'VE wish hereby to register with
you a request for application OF the
navy yard wage scale as adopted a.
that time ION August ze1 oy tne NaHy
wage board to the per diem employees
Of the District of Columbia
say. Position Ii Altered.
When news of this letter reached
President Hurley of the City En-
pIoyes' Association. he said:
.NThat alters my position consider
ah1y. I have no statement to make be-
Sond that. But it changes the case.
II is believed that the action OF the
federal employees will serve 10 cause
a postponement of the strike ballot
until after the action Of the Navy
wage board, which will meet Thurs
day for the preliminary session, ana
which, will make its final award Au-
gust 20. In previous statement me
District Commissioners announced
that they would review the decisions
of the Navy wage board after that
The fact~that the Commissioners
have issued such q statement, toGeth-
er with the fact that the Federal En-
stand. is understood by persons in au-
fhority to be favorable to post
ponement of the strike ballot. =
Acting Secretary Of Labor Rowland
d. Mahany today declared tnat ne,
gotiations were still in process and
that no final decision hfd yet been
made. A conference between the con-
ciIiators, including. John b. Colpoys
and walter D. Dayidge. and the e1.
eeutiys commistss 81. s. n sse this nn'0n mora.. q.
ing brought forth no sfafement .of
result other than that quoted.
Ne Action ut white H0oDe.z
Reeardins intervention q the White
House, it was learned todAy mat tne
President VIII take no aenon IN tae
ment Of Labor. The pAfter Is declared
to rest In its .handG and any action
which may be initated at the White
House will pass through the Office Of the
Secretary Of Labor.
f,erated their previous stand They
xuaranteed protection of the health and
safety Of the city and declared tnat no
action was forthcoming, the
water and sewer departments would not
be tied up.
Empieyes' Unien Letter.
Here's the letter which. presented by
the Federal Employees Union. put new
aspect to the situation:
Federal Employees Union, No. 80,
which is afiliated with the National
Federation of Federal Employees and
the American Federation OF LABOR,
consists of employees OF the District
OI COLUMBIA WHO arc Oh DOeAA sHAS
STATUTORY and per diem rolls. AS
already expressed to you on behalf
of our per diem members, We desire
to have the navy yard wage scare
applied to the District per diem en-
ployeS-
I'VE are glad therefore, to note your
abatement, published today. that you
will review the District wage scale
after the Navy Department, wage
board has reported, on August 70. Az
which will be held on August she
clerical and labor forces of the navy
yards will be represented by the pres.
ident of the National Federation OF
Federal EMPLOYEES lof & which 1e;1, W. We ARE are
resented by the heads OF their respec-
tive organizations.
I'VE are hopeful that the Navy wage
board will act favorably on the re-
0uest of our representative with ref
erence to the navy yards. and we wish
hereby to register with you request
FOR application of the navy yard wage
scale as adopted at that time TO the
per diem employees of the District OF
Columbia"
statement to, Public.
statement by the Federal En-
pIoyes Union. issued coternpora-
Heously with the issuance Of the let
ter to the Commissioners. declared
that the committee was sent TO the
Commissioners this morning with a
statement from their officers accept
ing as a solution of the present wage
controversy the Commissioners state
ment that they would review the
wage scale after August 20, in the
light of the report of the navy yard
wage board, which will be made by
that time"
The Commissioners received. short
ly before noon. another letter from
the board of conciliation Of the De-
partment of Labor. suggesting that
The arbitration, as suggested by them
Yesterday "be advisory, after the
manner Of the wage board created by
the District Commissioners. and that
three responsible citizens of the Dis
frict, chosen in the manner indicated
in our preceding communication, pass
upon the merits of the questions in
VOWED. and submit recommendations
for your approval or rejection"
The letter concludes with the fol-
lowing statement:
This to the end that the people OF
the District may be spared the ex-
perience of a disastrous and unneces-
sary strike on the part of the pei
diem employees"
To this letter the Commissioners re.
piled. indicating their intention of re-
viewing the District wage scale after
the Navy Department wage board re.
ports on August 90.
Letter of Commissioner.
The letter of the Commissioners i.
as follows:
of your letter of August 3, in which
you suggest an advisory arbitration
The Commissioners propose to ad.
here to their announced intention O,
reviewing the District governmeu,
wage scale after the Navy Depart