Evening journal., 1921-07-13
P R. R. Defines
LABOR POLICY
Will Continue Negotiations
With Representatives
of Workers
SAYS MEN ALWAYS
TREATED FAIRLY

as the puoAAc may hnoW NAo foHAefoH'
policy and purpose OF the Pennsyl-
vania Railroad with respect to the
Transportation Act and the decisions
Of the United States Railroad Labor
Board, General W. w. Atterbury,
vice-president in charge Of opera
ton, has issued the following state
ment to all employees:
THE management wants every OIL
ficer and employe to know tho real
facts about the hearing before the
United States Railroad Labor Board !
on July s. 1921.
"A plan of employe representation
was proposed May 20, 1921 We
asked your cooperation to make It a
success in order that friendly rela~
tons which always existed between
our officers and employees prior TO
Federal control. might be restored.
Results thus far accomplished
prove concluslvely that a large ma
jority of employees really desire to
participate in this plan Working
conditions for these employees either
naNN ht'n ahl10A ~ VI a. bNAh6
rapidly formulated TO the satisfaction
OF those concerned.
Meanwhile the shop crafts union
of the American Federation OF Labor
charged that tho management had
neglected to comply with the La
Dor Boards decision No. 119 in fail
| ing to negotiate with that organ
izauon a new schedule of working
conditions for shop craft employees
The position OF the company rs
this:
'yrhe management is doing its at
most to carry out the provisions Of
the transportation Act, as we un-
derstand the intention of Congress.
We are consistently and earnestly
trying to comply with the decisions
OF the Labor Board as far as II is
the law itself.
"Our purpose In appearing before
the Board on July 8, 1921, was to
protect the right of employees to have
a voice in deciding matters affecting
their welfare through empIoye rep
resentatives OF their own choice
whether union of non-union men.
The transportation Act gives them
that right
The company gave every shop
craft employe an opportunity 10 vote
for employe representatives by a
fair, impartial and sccret ballot A
ballot was distributed which did not
name any organization. Employees,
II they so desired. could have voted
for union employees to represent
them but the union exerted every ef-
! fort TO persuade the men not TO vote
at all Every employe had n chance
to vote. however. and n any ne
elected OF refused 10 vote as some
OF the shop craft employees did. It Is
their fauit and no fault OF the COM
lpany. As in any other election. the
votes cast must decide the election.
Representatives have been elect
ed by the ballots OF those of the
shop crafts who did exercise their
right to vote. Negotiations with
those Representatives are now being
conducted and the new schedule OF
working conditions. as soon as II il
agreed to. will be put into effect
The policy OF the company wa
announced TO the Labor Board a.
follows:
"'You have been told freely OF our
aims and our methods of procedure
and what we hope to accomplish
You have been told OF our success IN
negotiating with those OF our EN-
ployes who were willing and did
meet us half way. You have beer
told OF our success at Altoona works
whore a majority of the shop crafr
voted for their Representatives, whC
in turn completed their schedul'
I and put IT into fun forcs and effeca
on July 1. 1921
We propose 70 continue nego-
tiations with those representative
who were duly elected by those VIII,
: exercised their right 10 vote ans
/. viii put into effect the schedules a.
soon as they are completed and
u agreed TO. and OF which you will b.
. currently advised
nj 1T Is our purpose TO follow tina
n course.
. AT the same time the manage
y ment pointed out TO the Labor Boar,
e three important factors of the sit
q uation.
First The Board exceeded II
81 authority under the Transportation
II Act by continuing the national agree
ments in effect by Decision No. ;
In The railroads accepted this decisio
= I -.
is mentioned in that decision. tn
e Board would give the railroads IN
,r relief which they had asked.
3? Although the Board had n
< right TO continue these agreement
l. in effect in the first place. neverths
of less It decided on April Il, 1872
It after a hearing. that they shoul
a. cease on July !. 1921, and then d,
n cided on June 27. 1921, without
Is hearing. that they should not ceas
Is Such action interferes with yoJ
T. rights and our own.
s. Furthermore, recent interpret
he tions since Decision No. 11s, vi.
so lates the right and duty of the raj
in road and its employees to get &
ne gether and settle their own affair
We denied the right Of the Boa,
mt to make such interpretations
ed was clearly the purpose OF the Tran
81 portation Act to permit the raj
'se roads and their employees to de
OF with each other freely until a di
pute arises that cannot be settl
lty In conference between them.
oV- Second The Boards recent a
ms, tons have the effect OF perpetuati,
the national agreements In ur,tta