New-York tribune., 1921-10-30
Fear OF Drivers
Strike Ebbs as
Parleys Begin
Milk Men and Employers
Meet With Federal Com
ciliator and Agree to
Arbitrate Differences
Truck Conference Called
Owners to Meet Union Rep
resentatives To-day to
Try TO Reach Agreement

Chances of a strike of 12,500 team
sters and milk wagon drivers through
out New York were modified yesterday
by eleventh-hour decisions of repre-
sentatives of the employers and the
union heads concerned to get together
and. do everything within their power
to effect peaceful settlement of their
differences
Meeting in the Hotel Martinique, and
with Federal commissioner of con-
eiliation sitting in as chairman, officials
of the New York Milk Conference and a
commmittee representing the five locals
of the MIX Wagon Drivers Union of
New York and its vicinity, decided after
an all-afternoon meeting to open for
discussion two proposed agreements
over which they have been at variance
--one which the employers want in
stituted, seeking cut in wages, and
the other the contract presented by the
drivers, which calls for S. weekly in
crease.
:. Farley to Begin To-day -
Consideration of the agreements
point by point on each Of the thirty
six articles embodied will begin to-day
at another conference and with Charles
Benheim, commissioner of conciliatlon,
remaining in the chair. Both sides ex-
pressed themselves last night as hope
full of reaching an amicable adjustment
Of the controversy, possibly by to-
night.
In the mean time preliminaries for
q conference between heads of the
Merchant Truckmen's Bureau and lead
ers of two locals of the international
brotherhood of Transfers, represent
ing the drivers employed in the local
trucking industry, were successfully
concluded. The employing truckmen
will meet the union representatives at
10 o'clock tomorrow morning at Cav
anaugh's Restaurant 25S West Twenty
third Street, in an endeavor to arrange
for 2 new working and wage agreement
which will be acceptable to both sides.
The employing truckmen seek to OBJ
tain an agreement calling for a S5-a-
week wage cut and an increase in the
working day from nine to ten hours,
end threaten an open shop fight if a
strike is begun. The teamsters declare
for renewal of the present agreement
and back this up by st-ike vote,
which was taken Friday night.
Milk Drivers Desert Wagons
Widespread interest in the milk
drivers situation was caused during
the morning, when number of drivers
employed by the Sheffield Farms Com
pany in Brooklyn and the Bronx re-
manned away from work for a large
part of the day, depriving thousands
Of families of their daily quota of milk.
TA \,
union heads that this was not due to
q strike, however.
"The reason that the men remained
away from work was due to the action
of the company in failing to return
their delivery books to them," said
Harry Pivnik, secretary of Local 584,
composed of the drivers employed in
greater New York. "This was done by
the company because they feared the
drivers would keep the books in the
event that they went on strike, thus
Of it's customers.
Later in the day, however, the books
were returned to the men, on assur-
ance that the books would be given
back to the company if a strike was de-
cided upon, and the drivers went back
to work. There was no strike; it was
merely case of the men not being
able to go out on their routes without
their books'
Prompt Decision Essential
Pivnik said the reaching Of a de-
cision with the employers by noon to-
morrow was imperative, inasmuch as
the outcome of the conference must be
placed before the union members fo1
ratification or rejection at q meeting
to be held during the afternoon in
Madison Square Garden
He regarded the outlook for peace.
ful settlement as "hopeful."
Prospects are much better for q
settlement" was the opinion expressed
by |. Elkin Nathans, secretary of the
Milk Conference Board.
We're making progress" comment
ed Commissioner Bendh elm