The Rock Island Argus and daily union. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1920-1923, 1921-07-01
LEADERS START
DISCUSSION OF
: RAIL WAGE CUT
1000 Union Heads
Meet in Chicago
Viii Not Strike.

| per cent of the members of the
international Brotherhood of
Ffremen and Oilers have yof-
ed against accepting the wage
cut ordered by the United States
railroad labor board on all
roads today. Timothy HeaIy,
international president made
the announcement today as the
l,lO0 labor leaders gathered
here to pass on the order.
The maintenance of way len and
the shop crafts, which have alsC
taken a vote on the wage reduction
question, will not announce the re
suit until after the conference here
| today. Close to a thousand genera
chairmen of the four big brother.
hoods went into session at II
o'clock with leaders talking OF al
informal acceptance" of the cut
W. F. Krider of the Brotherhood Of
Locomotive Firemen and Engine
men, said such resolution proba
bly, would be adopted then.
The Big Four brotherhoods, after
situation was outlined, separated
the engineers, the firemen, the con
ductors and trainmen going into
separate meetings to consider the
wage cut.
The four groups viii report bach
to a general session at 10 O'CLOCK
tomorrow morning.
Chicago, July 1.-Onited Press.
Two million railroad workers
started to work for reduced wages
today as their leaders met here tc
! prevent, if possible, a tie-up of The
nations transportation system.
One thousand executives of the
strong rail unions started theiI
cept or reject the S400,000,000 an.
nual cut ordered by the United
States railroad labor board to &C
into effect today.
Although the union leaders vii.
keep their own counsel until a def
mite decision has been reached il
was generally believed that the1
will exert every effort to prevent 9
strike
=
These are the reasons given fol
the anticipated effort of union
chiefs to hold their men in line and
prevent 4 walkout:
Reluctance. to add to the legions
of unemployed the vast number OF
rail employees.
knowledge that a strike would
not have popular support,
Recognition that railroaderS mus
suffer the same as other workers
during the period of readjustment
1t is definitely known by referen-
dunn taken in the railroad depart
ment of the American Federation OF
Labor that the majority of the rank
and file of rail workers are against
the II per cent wage cut.
Timothy Healey, president of sta
tionary engineers and oilers, an
nounced when the sessions started
that the union had overwhelmingly
voted TO reject the wage cut.
Other unions have done likewise
although official tabulahon of bal
lots has not been made public.
Concerning the strike votes OF
unions, President L. e. Sheppard OF
the conductors, stated:
Strike votes have been record
ed before and there has been no
strike"
No Vote From @Big Four"
Members of the four big brother
hoods have not yet voted on the
issue. They will not vote unless
their leaders in today's conference
decide to reject the cut which is
not considered likely.
Acceptance of the cut under
protest is deemed the outcome of
the meetings here 1t is said that
resolutions have been prepared
serving notice that the cut will be
accepted on condition that the
working agreements which outline
pay for overtime and other working
conditions be kept intact,