The Rock Island Argus and daily union. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1920-1923, 1921-05-27
WILLING TO WORK FOR
sssSSO UOsssS O
ACCENTS WHILE WAGE
IS BEING ARbITRATED
Conference Between Com.
pany and Employees
May Avoid Tieup. =

Carmen will accept the 40.
cent-an.hour scale, pending ar.
bitration Of their wage Differ
ences with the Tri.City Rail.
way company, full settlement
to be retroactive from the time
of expiration Of the existing
contract.
This offer was to be made
this afternoon by . committee
from the carmen In conference
with the Tri-City Railway com.
pany officials and 1t is expect.
ed will open avenue for eecapo
from q general tie.up Of street
car lines, II the company will
submit to arbitration Of Its
wage scales.
John G. Huntoon, general
manager, has refused to com.
ment upon the company's at.
titude on this solution Of tho
wage scale differences.
Tr1-c1ty tra1nmen without q QlS'
senting ballot voted to strike II the
Tri-City Railway company refuses
to arbitrate the wage scale and
working conditions. or to recog-
nize the union. Over 400 votes
were cast II the meetings held at
the Rock Island Industrial hall
Thursday night and this morning.
]. B. Wiley, Des Moines, interna-
tional representative. arrived in
Rock Island Thursday night and
addressed both meetings Of the
Davenport and Rock Island and
Moline unions. Another feature d
the action Of the employees 10 thai
they demand that the company trea'
with the unions jointly. ---------''-isss '.-ssss
Mr.. Wiley represented the EN-
ployes in the Rogers case and alst
in the fight to prevent the compan,
to reduce wages to Devenpor'
trainmen to 40 cents an hour OF
April /, two months before thu
contract expired. The city OF Dav.
export obtained an injunction pre-.
venting the company from carrying
out the wage cut.
Never Was Closed Shop.
Mr.. Wiley declared that the claim
of a closed shop is a misnomer, and
the company in its relations with
its employees never recognized
closed shop. He declares that -
relation of the union with the com
pany has been nothing more thar
a dealing Of employees with en-.
ployer, and that the company
statement that it will deal with the
employees collectively but not as
union is misleading.
Every contract the men have
had with the company has clearl,
set forth that the union made NJ
attempt to force the company tt
hire union men," Mr.. Wiley said
Our contracts allow the company
to employ whom it pleases, re
gardless of union affiliations. How
ever, the contracts have stipulated
that the company would not coerct
any men hired not to join the unior
and, in turn, the men had agreed
that they would not bring undue
influence to get any such employees
to join the union.
There is no use for US to dis
band our union and then establish
an employees association or al
organization under any other name
to deal with the company, as 4
says it will deal with its employe.
collectively
"That is all we have been doinl
and any change would mean Il
drop the name union. The results
would remain the same and wha
is there to be gained or lost b!
dropping the name union? Consid
ering these things we feel that tn
present controversy is one Of at
tempt at Misrepresentation ON tn
part of the company.
I'VE also stand for collective bar
gaining and We have the organiza
ton of employees to carry on suel
bargaining and do not intend Z
break it up under any pretext se
forth by the company. 1t is up t
the company to arbitrate not 0nl
the signing Of a contract with tn
organization as It is, but also wag
and working conditions, or theI
will be strike. The men have 81,
en- the executive board power
call the strike when they deem sue
(Cnntipuod nm po0o Covop =