Great Falls tribune. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1921-current, 1921-09-30
LEE SAYS HE WILL ADVISE
TO STICK ON JOB AT PRESENT
WAGE; MAY NEVER CALL STRIKE
Nearly All Classes Hav-
ing Wages Cut, Says
President of Union.
Trainmen Will Help
Others but Will Not
Take Responsibility.

Chicago, Sept. 29.-President
w. G. Lee, of the Brotherhood
Of Railway Trainmen, Thurs
day night said that if the
strike vote cast by 80 per cent
of the 10000 members in the
recent referendum Of the wage
reduction should be supported
by the grievance committee, a
tentative strike order would be
issued, effective only when and
if the other unions should
strike.
With this parting declaration, Pres
ident W. G. Lee, dispatched fifty
seven general chairmen of the unions
to their homes tonight with written in
structions to call their grievance COM
mittees, get their approval or disap-
proval Of the strike vote, and report
back here next week.
Will Approve Vote.
That the grievance committees will
approve the strike is q foregone con-
clusion at union headquarters
Lee expects to act on the committee
instructions before the Brotherhoods
Of Engineers, Conductors, Enginemen
and Trainmen and the chief switch
mems union of North America have
completed the count of their 259,OOO
strike balpta sEhieh EiA start here
That the strike, even If ordered.
will never actually take place, con-
tinued to be the prevailing impression
ised to call the walkout if. the commit
tee 90 direct, he bluntly told his men
in a general letter on September IL
that he would be remiss in his duty if
he failed to point out to them that
wages and working conditions estab
lished since 1918 were the result of
world war such as never before known,
that government reports indicated five
million men out of work; that nearly
all classes of labor have been forced
to accept some wage reductions; that
the pay increase granted them last
year by the United States labor board
was based on the increased cost of
living, and that government reports
show q reduction of more than 16 per
cent in such living costs.
The strike vote was taken on the
question of accepting or rejecting the
II per cent wage cut made July l by
the labor board.
Shifts Responsibility.
Tabulations of the vote had not been
completed Thursday night, but the bal
lots already counted showed from 80
to 95 per cent of the men on every
railroad system in the country voted to
quit work rather than accept the pay
reduction. No system failed to return
9 out Of 10 votes for the strike.
Lees determination to announce his
unions stand before the other broth
erhoods complete their ballot count
shifts the entire responsibility for the
next move in the threatened general |!
strike on the four unions which took |
q joint vote-BrotherhoOd Of Locomo-
tive Engineers. Order of Railway Con-
ductors, Brotherhood of Locomotive |
Firemen and Enginemen, and the |
Switchmen's Union of North America. |
The affiliated shops crafts, by a vote |
Df 325.OOO to $4,000 have gone or rec
ord in favor of strike but have post :
pOned action pending decision Of the
other unions and action of the labor
board on rules and working conditions,
which questions are before it.
AS the situation stands, if the en-
yineers, conductors, firemen, engine
men and switchmen walk out, the
trainmen and shopmen will join them
but the first four will have to assume
for the move