The Washington times., 1921-06-28
RAIL STRIKE MAY
!. BE UNIONS REPLY
TOCUT IN WAGES
Shopmen Co on Record as OPP
posed to Ruling OF
Labor Board.
~ international New. servie..

By International News Services.
CHICAGO, June 28.-With the
vote of the railway shopmen over
whelmingly opposed to acceptance
Of wage reduction Of IS to ~ cents
an hour, as ordered by the United
States Railway Labor Board, rail-
way circles today became alarmed
that the nation might be confronted
with a serious railway crisis within
a fortnight.
The shop crafts employees voted
$4,000 in favor Of acceptance Of the
wage slash with $4,000 opposed
to it.
CHIEFS OPPOSE STRIKE.
Unofficial reports of tho trend of
the vote in the four railway brother
hoods Indicated that the wage slash,
amounting generally to 10 per cent
and effective July 1, was not popular
and that the brotherhood chiefs
might be asked to call q strike. II
is understood the brotherhood chiefs
themselves are against strike.
The vote of the shopmen actually
affects about 500. 900 railway workers
or about half those employed by all
railway systems in the country. The
remainder OF the men-the clerks,
switchmen. engineers, conductors and
trainmen--havs left nnal action re-
garding a strike to a committee OF
their officers and various chairmen Of
divisions.
1t IL pointed out that even should
the railway workers general commit
tee recommend acceptance of the
wage cut, the shop craft employees
vote against 1t scarcely can be .fg-,
nored. The employees, as q whole.
have agreed to abide by majority
action. and the shopmen represent
half. or more, Of the total railway
men.
The result Of the shopmen's vote
was tabuiated In the once OF B. NJ.
Jewel, president of the railway en-
pioyes' department OF the American
Federation of Labor.
HAVE s3oyooo.ooo FUND.
Labor on1cisis are declared TO be
doing all they can to prevent a ma
tion-wide railway walkout. They
fear the disastrous effect II would
have upon the country.
Financially. 1t is pointed out, the
railway men are scarcely in readi-
ness for a strike. A strike benefit
fund OF some sac, 900. 900 has been ac-
cumulated during the last three years
by the men. but with l.200 900 men
drawing only n weekly benefit of $40
from IL tho war fund would last
only a couple OF weeks.
Should the age cut be rejected by
the workers and their ohiefs. both the
union leaders and the railways will
be armed with powerful weapons to
~. L. F,,r ~
railroads would have the backing of
the board while the union chiefs
would be in position to flourish the
strike club.
A new development IN the situation
concerns the possible abrogatlon Of
the national working agreement
which was to be effective next FRI
day under the United States Railway
Boards decision. Many of the rail-
roads will be unable to reach agree
ments with employees by July I on
rules submitted for the national code.
RAILROADS IGNORE BOARD.
The labor board has itself lacked
time to draft set of rules which II
had intended for such lines as found
IL impossible TO reach an agreement
with the railway unions.
A majority of the railroads have
either failed In tho effort to carry
out the boards instructions to get
together with employees on new work
Ing agreements. or have not yet COM
plsted the task. 1t In reported that a
few of the railroads have made no
effort to meet the employer repre-
sentatives on the matter.
The board will Immediately go into
this phase of the situation. 1t was
considered probable that the board
would direct the national agreements
to continue in force for a fixed time
or indefinite time beyond July 1, or II
could permit the whole matter to re-
vert to the status that obtained prior
to the Government control Of rail-
roads.
However, working agreements may
take back seat until the railway