The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1921-02-17
JEWELL ASKS
WAGE PARLEY
Union Chief Suggests Railway
Heads and Men Hold Joint
Conference.

CHICAGO, Feb. 17.-Immediate
settlement Of all railway wage con-
troversies outstanding before the
United States Railway Labor Board
by a joint conference Of railroad
representatives and labor represen-
tatives, to be held at the earliest
possible moment, was urged before
the board today In a statement by
B. M. Jewell, president OF the Rail
way Employees Department of the
American Federation OF Labor.
ANSWERS PENNsY CHIEF.
JEWELS statement. presented in re-
buttaI to the claims of w. w. After
bury. vice-president OF the Penn
sylvania lines. that the country faces
a national crisis unless the national
wage agreements are abrogated. also
recommended that the Railway Labor
Board pass Immediately upon any diff
ferences of opinion which might arise
from the conference.
Jewell recommended also that the
board request Atterbury to withhold
his announced presentation of
flood of Individual complaints" until
the conferences could be arranged,
ain order that existing general agree
ments may not be impaired and that
the matter can be brought to the
board in the form of a single COM
plant"
The labor representative put the
delay in arriving at a final decision in
the controversy squarely up to the
railroads In stating that "if the car
Iriers had obeyed the law and met the
employees In national conference or
Joined ) with them in establishing
boards OF adjustment, all delay could
have been avoided"
ORJECTs OF PROPOSAL.
Mr.. Jewell declared that his pro-
posaIs were made with the following
objects in view:
ITO insist upon the fundamental
principle of collective bargaining,
which is now the real issue before
the board in pending cases.
"2-To expedite these cases which
otherwise will absorb a vast amount
OF time and effort.
"3+To restrain the railroads from
preventing proper functioning and de-
stroying the effectiveness of the board
by flooding 1t with large number
of individual complaints which II can
not handle"
Mr.. Jewell made II clear that the
unions are not fighting for the
maintenance of working rules that
work financial injustice to the rail-
roads.
SEEK ONLY FAIRNESS.
I'VE do not wish to perpetuate
any unreasonable rules or working
conditions" he asserted. I'VE do not
wish to cause the railroads unrea-
sonable expense. We shall not now
advocate-and never have supported
any rules that do this"
Charging that the railroads are
conducting a strong propaganda to
influence the boards decision. the
labor spokesman protested against
outside interference, citing resolu-
tions which had been received by
the board from chambers of COM
merce and other commercial and
civic organizations.
1--WE consider such efforts as gross
and inconceivable improprieties,"
Jewell declared. This board is the
supreme court of relations between
employees and arrangements in the
transportation management
Scoring the railroad managements'
unwillingness to negotiate on ma
tional scale. Mr.. Jewell said:
"By centralizing their own bargain
ing power and de-centralizing that OF
the unions. they hope to weaken the
unions by attacking and crushing
the local organization, especially
thos which recently have been formed"