South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1920-03-30
EXPRESS COMPANY
employees ORDERED
TO SUSPEND WORK
All Activities Cease Pending
Outcome of Grievances Pre-
ferred by Union Members.

Express shipments were at
standstiI. service was paralyzed and
all activity about the American Rail-
way Express office was seriously cur
tailed Monday morning when so
employees Of the local Office Of the
company. ali members of the
Brotherhood or Railway Clerks sus-
pended work pending the amicable
adjustment Of grievances preferred
boy the committee against the con
Germ.
Refuals OF II. ". Campbell. SUI
perintendent OF tho northeastern
ohio district with offices ia Toledo
20 personally give the gr evance
committee a hearing Is said 70 have
been tho reason for the walkouJ,
however, 70 Is understood that a
genera. dissatisfaction with cOnci-
lions IS an underlying cause.
According 10 r. :. Ellis. local
agent OF tho express company, the
grievances. which are an oItgiOwtl
o. a general order issued N My
I. 1919, by Director Gen. Of Rail
roads Hines were presented m writ
ing, CccorcinG TO a previous agree
ment between the company officials
and the union officials. Complying
with the usual procedure the com
plant was forwarded 20 Supt Camp
bell. who after rendering a decision
said 10 be unfavOrable 10 the en-
ployes referred the grievances back
to the originators.
Bone OF Contention.
The bone OF contention is that
the order issued by Director Hines
awarded all express company en-
ployes a fiat increase OF S25 a
month, the increase 10 take effect
at once, and three employees Of the
South Bend Office now charge that
they received but $40 raise and
their efforts through the medium OF
the committee have proven fruitless.
The employees contend that the offer
10 arbitrate the question Monday
was spruned by the division super
intendent, who claimed that he would
be unable to be in South Bend on
the appointed day on account Of a
previously arranged important con-
ference at Toledo. However the
agent stated that the superintendent
will be here Wednesday and il is
expected that an agreement can be
arranged at that time. The en-
plOyes' side Of the controversy is in
he hands OF Robert Morgan. gener-
al chairman OF the general grievance
board OF the express division of the
brotherhood. Mr.. MOrgan's territory
includes the central and Ohio valley
districts.
Although the present waikOut is
declared by both brotherhood and
company officials not to be a means
Of enforcing wage increase demands,
the general trend OF conversation
among the employees during the day
showed that there was a general
dissatisfaction. According TO a prom
inent member Of the South Bend
local OF the brotherhood the wage
standard is far below the scale in
force I'm other lines of activities. The
scale paid at the local office is as
follows: Cashier, 1925; drivers, $50
10 SOS; freight callers. SOS; bill
clerks. 500 to S125: checkers, SOS;
sheet reviser, 500, on hand clerk.
SiOO TO SOS: money clerk. 500. and
platform men. 500. The above fig
ures represent the monthly wage OF
a 365 day year.
Determined TO Stick
Although members OF the brother
hood voiced their determination to
stick TO the finish" the walkout was
conducted without the least sign of
disorder and all appearances tended
10 bear out an early announcement
that violence or rOwdyism would not
be tolerated. At a conference held
at 0-g0 O'Clock Monday morning no