The Rock Island Argus and daily union. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1920-1923, 1921-05-25
WILL OFFER
new SCALE
0F4O CENTS
City Railway Company
May Declare Open
Shop.
A strike next Wednesday on the

A strike next Wednesday on the
lines Of the Tri-City Railway COM
many is as good as assured.
Declaration OF an open shop pol
lev on all street car lines in the
ouad.cities and on the Clinton,
davenport G Muscatine interurban
burst like bOmbshell in the meet
ing between the union wage COM
mittee and company officials in
Davenport this morning.
The company met the mems re-
ouest for continuation Of the pres
ent 7O-cent maximum scale and a
scent an hour increase for inter-
urban trainmen with an ultimatum
that the company will not sign a
new contract with the unions and
setting a wage Of 36, 38' and 40
cents an hour June l.
The ultimatum WAS given by John
G. Huntoon, vice president and
general manager of the company,
and Thomas Roderick. assistant
general manager. 1t was also stat
ed that the company attitude was
decided upon Tuesday in meetings
Of the boards of directors of the
Tn-City Railway & Light company
and the United Light & Railways
company, the holding concern.
The meetings were held in DAY.
export and Frank r. Hulswitt
Richard Schaddelee and l.. H.
Heinke. president, vice president
and secretary. respectively, of the
holding concern, took part. 49,.
Instructions were given to John
0. Huntoon, general manager Of the
Tri-City Railway & Light company
to inform union leaders that the
company refused to enter into any
further contracts with their organ.
nations. and will pay no more thar
IS, IS and 40 cents an hour for
trainmen on cars operated by two
men. 1t was announced by Mr.
Huntoon this morning that more
will be paid to men operating one
man cars, but that this rate has not
been set. However, it is understood
that the company is planning to
offer One-man car operators an ad-
ditional cents an hour.
Unions Taken by Surprise.
The leaders OF Division No. S13
Street Railway Employees Of Rock
Island and Moline, and Division No
sl2 Of Davenport, were surprised
at the ulumatum given by the COM
pany. There had been some ru.
mors that the company would de.
clare an open shop June /. but the
men had come to believe, from
statements made from time to time
by company officials, that the ru.
mors were unfounded.
Mr.. Huntoon qualified the opeI
shop policy this morning by stat.
Ing that while the company would
sign no contracts with the unions
there would be no objection to tall
with the men collectively over any
issue. However, the unions claim
That without a contract the meI
nave little standing in any nego.
tiations.
1t was announced that the mer
would never give up their organ.
nation, and that the wage offer o,
me company will be refused.
Meet Again Thursday.
John T. Bauer, president Of tn,
ROCK Island and Moline union, G
y; Mgstrom, secretary, and Jane.
Mnsley, member of the executiv,
board. Charles Rogers, presiden,
ol the Davenport union, H. r. Bow
ker' secretary, and David Schilling
.aw, member of the executive board
composed the joint committe'
~aica visited the company official,
sais morning. They presented I;
Uon1act that had been ratified b,
.ne men in voting Monday morn
lns and night. The contract tn,
nen asked the company to sign wa
.or tne old wage OF 60, 65 and Z,
ssnts an hour for men in first 81,
@ontns service, men in second ST,
montns' service and employees o
o.er one year, respectively. Thi,
4