The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1921-08-10
Union Chiefs Continue Threats
Against Piece Work. 4
Federal Boards Order for Par.
ley With Unions Ignored. !
THIS is LAST DAY ALLOWED
Unions Say They VIII Let Case
Rest With Public.
Seventy Unions Join Protesting
Old Pay System. !,

Chicago, Aug. 10.-Defying the rail-
roads to re-establish the pieceworix
system of shop work, representatives
of the Federated Shop Crafts OF
thirty-three eastern railroads today
would follow orders by the United
States labor board sanctioning either
the piece work system or abolishing
time and half for overtime.
Seventy unions are before the labor
board protesting against restoration
of the piece work system. Represen-
tatives of the employees. at hearings
today, emphatically asserted thev
would not work under the piece work
system in any circumstances.
While the hearings were in prog
ress, word was anxiously awaited from
the Pennsylvania road where a strike
is threatened over the refusal of the
board to recognize the unions in deal
ing with its employees. President B.
NJ. Jewell of the railway department.
of the American Federation of Labor
and other union officials, however, re-
Trained from comment on the Penn
sylvania situation.
This Is Last Day.
Today is the final date set by the
| United States railroad labor board on
which conferences were to be held be-
| tween the Pennsylvania railroad and
their shop employees looking toward
| selection of a new committee to ne
! gotiate working rules. The board re-
Gently ordered a new election by secret
ballot to name the employees commit
tee at the same time declaring pre-
vious elections by the road and by the
shop crafts union illegal
| Local officials of the Pennsylvania
said they were unadvised as to the
roads position but up to last night no
move had been made to call the en-
ployes into conference as ordered by
| the labor board. Any announcement
| by the road would come from the Of
flee of w. w. Atterbury, vice presi-
dent in charge of operations in Phila-
delphia, Pennsylvania, officials said.
! Say Men VIII Not Strike.
/ Philadelphia, Aug. 10.-The threat
/ ened strike of Pennsylvania railroad
| shopmen is waning as the day grows
older. and the railroad management
| shows no sign of receding from it's
stand in refusing to recognize the de-
cree of the labor board.
Union leaders now say that shop
men will not strike but will leave the
matter to public opinion.
1t is understood that former em-
ployes of the Baldwin Locomotive
Works have been placed on waiting
lists" Railroad officials refused to
deny or confirm the rumor.
| H. S. Jeffrey, representative of the
| shop men at Philadelphia. stated that
the entire system will be tied up If the
railroad fails to recognize the ruling
/ of the railroad board by midnight to-
night.
He charged that several hundred
employees have already been dis
charged as they insisted on working
under the old agreements, made while
the road was under government man
lagement. This was emphatically de-
MED by the railroad management.
Some indication of the result of the
meeting of the board of directors OF
the road probably will be made pub
lie today.
Pensy Chiefs Prepared.
| The Pennsylvania railroad man
agement today maintained silence as
to the action of it's board of directors
yesterday in discussing the threatened
strike of shop men as a consequence
of the railroad management's disre-
gard of the ruling of the railroad
wage board.
Officials refused to discuss the stu
alton but smiled confidently when
asked if the road was prepared THE
Pennsylvania is always prepared for
any emergency" said one whether II
be strike, flood, fire or accident. It is
not likely that we would have re-
mained idle when others are herald
ing broadcast that they are about to
take action of grave consequence"
One of the most persistent rumors
was that the Pennsylvania railroad
has offered permanent positions to
machinists formerly employed at the
big industrial plants who now are out
of work in case of a strike.
1