The Winslow mail., 1921-10-28

order Of the board The Santa Fe
followed the orders and has dealt
with all it's employees under these
agreements, and in addition has in
creased wages under the boards
order in July 1920, the board made
increases aggregating about twenty
two per cent effective May 1st on
the grounds that the cost of living
had increased to a figure that war
ranted such increase Later when a
marked decline in prices lowered
the cost of living the railroads of
the country asked that the wages in
effect before July 1920 be restored
and the board after hearing and in
vestigating granted portion of the
request as of July 1st and the Santa
Fe put these new wages into effect.
Our train and enginemen through
their respective leaders asked the
railroads (and the Santa Fe among
them) for a conference to consider
restoration of the rates establish
ed in July 1920 and promise that
further reductions would not be
asked in view of the general lower
ing of wages throughout the coun-
try and the changes that are taking
place we did not feel that this could
be done especially in view Of the in
sistent demands that is sweeping
the country for lower freight rates.
A strike vote was ordered and we
have been told not by our employees
but by the heads of the Brother
hoods that the strike vote was al
most unanimous. We do not know
- IT, h
feel certain that it was far from
unanimous and we do know that on
certain roads not more than forty
percent voted in favor and on some
of these roads we know that most
of the men will not go out. The
Santa Fe therefore finds itself con-
fronted with a threatened strike
through the decision of the labor
board body of nine men constltut-
ed as the arbiter under the laws of
the United States: on the board are
three representatives of Labor and
three representatives of the Public.
The management of the Santa Fa
has duty to the Public to give it
proper service at as low rates as
losssible, it has a duty to It's en-
plGyes to pay the living wages ard
to make their working conditions as
comfortable as possible. 1t has a
duty to it's stockholders to give
them a proper return on the money
invested in the property. In its eff
fort to accomplish the first it nust
1T the present time attempt. 10 re-
tluce it's ey Denses but in doing this
it is willing to leave to the labor
board the question of what is a fair
living waPe If this brings on a
strike the road will have to meeo it
t. the best of it's ability. In doing
this an anbeal is made to every en-
ploye to look the question fairiy in
the face. A strike means the fol-
lowing: Loss of position if the
strike is not won and no strike has
ever been won on the Santa Fe; sor-
row and suffering to those depend
ant on you while looking for anoth-
er job; change in home surround
ings. loss of pension rights and 9TH
er privileges gained by long years
! of service. If you are member of
any of the organizations which have
ordered a strike consider all the
facts as given above and make your
| decision as to whether you will go
out after calm deliberation. If you
are mot connected with such organ
| izaitons we ask you to lend us your
moral support We believe we are
right in this matter or we would not
| go into this struggle.
W. B. STOREY, President.