The Lake County times. [volume] (Hammond, Ind.) 1906-1933, 1921-06-28
SHOPNEN
VOTE No ON
WAGE CUT
Railroad Brotherhood Chief
May Be Asked To Call
A Strike.
,ElNrEsHArlosAL NEWS sesvicEl

NF14NAGO, June Ze.-N ltl the Notf
Of the rallway shopmen overwhelnl.
ingly opposed 70 acceptance Of a wag,
reduction as ordered by the L Ran.
way Labor Board Railway circles Be
came alarmed that the nation might bs
confronted With a serious railway cris.
IS within z fortnigh Tie shop craft:
| sn1pioyes voted IS 600 in favor OF &C
ceptance Of the wage slash with s25.
600 opposed to It
BROTRERHooDs AGAINST IT.
Unofficial reports Of the trend ot tae
vote in the four railway brotherhoods
indicated the wage slash amountna
70 / ? per cent and effective Juyl !. was
NOT popular and that the brotherhood.
chief isht be asked to call strike
i Is understood the brotherhood chef.
themselves are against a strike
GOo.OOO MEN AFFECTED.
The Vote Of the shopmen actuallv az
fects about 100000 railway workers
or about half Of those employed oy
all railway systems in the country
The remainder Of the men-the clerks
switchmen. engineers. conductors ane
trainmen-have left hnal action r..
sarding strike TO committee o.
sheir officers and various chairmen ol
--+S---- 4+N- " ~ meet lfAC ArAt
Friday 10 canvas the situation
CAN'T IGNORE SHOP CRAFTS
It IS pointed out that even shou.c
the railway workers general commit
tee recommend acceptance Of the wage
cut. the shop crafts employees vote
against II scarcely can be ignored
The employees. as a whole. have agreed
2 abide By n majority action. and The
b.f< 80
the total railuaymen.
The result Of the shopmens vote va.
,aou.ated in the Office OF B. M. Jewel.
president Of the railway employees d.
yision OF the American Federation OF
Lasor.
LABOR OFFICIAL FEAR EFFECT.
Labor officials are declared to be do
ing all they can to prevent a nation.
vide raN walkout. They fear the dis
astrous effect il would have upon the
1ountrys' already crippled economic
life.
Financially. it IS pointed out, ,hs
railway men are scarcely in readiness
for strike. \ strike benefit fund CT
some $50 ooo.oo0 mas been accumulated
during the past three years by the mea
but with 100000 men drawing only
weekly benefit Of $40 from it the va.
fund would last only a couple Of
weeks.
BOARD WOULD BACK RAILROADS
Should the wage cut be rejected BY
the workers and their chiefs. both the
union leaders and the railways VIII be
armed with powerful weapons 70 De
used in further negotiations. The rail-
roads would have the backing Of tha
board while the union chiefs would Re
IN a position 70 hourish the strike
club.
\ new development in the situation
concerns the possible abrogation Of the
national working agreement which was
20 be affective next Friday under the
L. :. Railway Boards direction.
Many Of the roads win be enable 10
reach agreements with employees by
July on rules submitted for the na-
tional code
The labor board has itself lacked
time TO draft set OF rules which II
had Intended for such lines as found
II Impossible to reach an agreement
with the railway unions.
majority or the railroads have
either failed IN the effort to carry out
the boards instructions 10 get to-
Sethers' with employees on new work
ing agreements. or have not yet COM
pleted the task. 1t is reported that a
few of the railroads have made no eff
fort 70 meet the employees represen-
tatives on the matter.
BOARD TO TAKE ACTION.
The board Will Immediately go into
this phase OF the situation. 1t was
considered probable that the board
either would direct the national agree
ments 10 continue in force for fxed
time or indefinite time beyond July
or il would permit the whole matter
% revert TO the status that obtained
prior to the government control OF
railroads
However working agreements MAJ
take back seat until the railway
NaSe question IS settled
TIIIn h60nT UUIITlkI0