New-York tribune., 1921-09-19
shipments Unions Decide
- Defer Action Until
Labor Board Announces
NewW orkingC Conditions
Charge Roads Want
Men to Walk Out
Leaders Declare Compa-
MES Seek Unfair Advan-
iage in Industrial Slump

CHICAGO, Sept. 1S.--Railroad shop
man belonging to the six federated
.sop crafts unions have voted to strike
.yaiust the general railroad wage re-
suet;on of July l, 1921, bat will defer
INV action until the PRONUNCIATION Of
xorkinr rules now pending before the
limited States Railroad Labor Board,
rsen another vote will be taken on
acceptance or rejection Of the rules.
This announcement was officially
made by B. NJ. Jewell, head of the shop
erafts' organizations. at mass meet
iug Of Chicago shop workers to-day.
Belief that stronger fight could be
made If a strike is not called. with
sreservation of the shopmen's working
niles as one of the goals, led to the
d.sision to withhold strike call for
he present, Mr.. Jewell said. He and
.ther union speakers counseled the
nan TO wait until the entire wage and
nl,s situation was before them, rather
man rush into a strike which Mr..
Iewell declared the railroad manage
nents desired.
Await Opportune Time
3Te can make real fight on the
rules proposition when we might not
have the full support Of other branches
Of railway employees on wage fight
slone.s Mr.. Jewell said. ''If we want
10 protect our best interests we must
wait until the time is opportune; but
II the Labor Board releases all the re-
naming rules to be acted upon at one
time then we will have the whole mat
Tar before US. We will need only one
yote-to accept or reject the rules
TO determine what will be DONE"
This announcement was greeted with
applause and questioners jumped up in
sll parts of the nall to press for fur
.her details. Answering one question,
Nr. Jewell asserted that the shop
crafts would have the cooperation of
other organizations, including the Big
Four brotherhoods. if strike were
called. and. urged his audience to pre-
pare for action.
Majority Against Wage Cut
The strike vote, completed August 1,
vas snnounced as showing constitu-
iiOnal maj ority against the wage reduc-
ton which went into effect July /. This
was the first official confirmation of the
result which has been rumored for
some time.
Condemnation of the operations of
lhe Labor Board and of its decisions
vas voiced by all speakers at the meet
ing. Mr. Jewell charged that the rail-
reads were attempting to use the board
10 take an unfair advantage of the in
3ustral situation. The boards method
sf drafting rules to supplant the ma
sional agreement-a wartime measure
under which the employees work at
present--was asserted to be imprac-
teal, because only seven of the 186
rules have been substituted.
Mr.. Jewel said he would demand OF
the board that ''for once it meet a sit
uasion in a practical way and announce
the remaining rules simultaneously in
stead Of piecemcal.
To Ballot on Rules
When the board announces the SUBJ
st:tute rules our committee will take
! ballot" Mr.. Jewell said. "If the rules
are not satisfactory and the ballot
ssys so we will take the result to the
railroads. II they refuse to grant our
reasonable demands they will have to
stand responsible and answer to the
american people"
n. X. Good. chairman Of the Penn
sSyssnia S System Federation of Shop
.islts, said he thought that the Penn
wanna had been selected to make q
,yae Tor the open shop as the first step
y sucn an agreement on all railroads.
eondemnation of the piecework sys-
zen was made by Edward Tegmeyer.
,M.e-president of the Blacksmiths s.
oaion, who said the attempt of the
.oaus 70 relnstate pieeework was an
sggraVation to strike.
Says Roads Want Strike
The railroads have been expectinp
- - % strike" he said. "They want US
Sasa l. ssliAe SO they can put US out of
suSiness. ssS @ We want your suggestions
t;a fss aovlce, and when the time comes
~. ~ your hats on; we're going down
~ 'lhe and going all the way
s,s ueheral charges that the railroads
a r ~ opposing demands of the unions
dsstt D. ta,s OF movement which, Presi-
M. Ssn. seweii said, was backed by "nine
lTaOa H. !, DO lars or MORE" were made.
sa,;.a} vp}eet, he said. was ''to crush or
ss;s sss.'.su labor" He cited alleged un-
Il seticn by the railroads in offering
,o.a = negotiate rules on each Individual
srs ,.s s ana then failing to agree. Only
AM. agreements had been COMPLETED
ssitn.g yng tne 500 carriers on which sub
nn;one e rules were to, be drafted. The
sions1s i,u,'s seek to retain the present ma
men agreements intact, and the shop
sill i' a., according to the union officials.
ii tbsa bssSc harder fight for retention
ssdusss ese rules than in opposition to
o'e on Wage Cut Strike
R03Jnx ~ ry