Evening star., 1921-12-02
LOCAL UNION MEMBERS
THINK new RULES FAIR

Railroad union workers are reason
ably satisfied that the rules and work.
ing conditions promulgated In Chicago
will be fair and acceptable. ana tnat
many Of them will include rules for
which unions have been striving before
the Railway Labor Board for several
months.
This expression of opinion was given
as the joint belief of representatives
of organized labor among the shop
President J. F. Anderson Of the In
ternational Association of Machinists.
whose speciality Is railroad work, In
which his organZatOn stands out as
one of the most prominent organiZa-
tions Of employees in the rail shops, de-
dences Of a departure from the gen.
eral rules which would be wholly un-
acceptable to his organization.
He refused to make definite state
ment on the precise reception of con-
ditions. however. until he had reviewed
the rules thoroughly. From various
authentic sources here, however. the
following expressions were obtained,
which may be regarded as accurate
interpretations of the typical workers:
In the first place, the "open shop"
does not enter into the equation.
There has been no CLOSED shop" on
the roads since the one-year try-out
of this proposition on the Chicago and
Alton road several years ago. when
the unions abandoned the project as
practical failure. The "open shop"
used in a fair sense. is, and has been,
regarded as the only logical method of
employment on the roads even by labor
leaders. In the original four big
brotherhoods clauses in the constitu-
tions. according to w. N. Doak. repre-
senting the Brotherhood Of Railroad
Trainmen here. stipulate that to enter
the unions an applicant must be sane
toned by one or more of the members.
and that although many are refused
membership. they remain in the en-
ploy of railroads in harmony with
union workers.
This fact that workers must seek
the union and not the union seek the
man." said Mr.. Dotk. "is virtually an
ipso facto agreement to fair OPEN
shop conditions.
"The savings from the newly pro-
mulgated rules. in reports reaching
this city, We believe to be wholly
overestimated." an official of an in
ternational union stated. Eve do not
take the first report to reach this city
entirely seriously. We feel confident
that the pessimistic tint given to it
really will turn out to be an opti-
mistfc tone for the organized work.
ers."
All in all. this optimism prevails
among Washington railroad repre-
sentatives. The men believe that when
the rules are analyZed nothing which
is inherently hostile to the principles
and motives of organized labor will
be found.
Action on the acceptability of the
rules will not be taken until after the
first of the year, according to announce
ment by B. NJ. Jewell, president Of the
railway employees department, American
Federation Of Labor with which the six
railroad shop crafts are affiliated.
Because of the shop crafts pend
Ing request for wage increase of
Is cents an hour over present rates.
a matter which will come up in re-
gional conferences with the roads
December 90. it would not be possi-
BILE to consider the new rules until
next month. Mr.. Jewell said. He de-
clined to make any comment on the
rules announced because, he said, he
had had no opportunity to study them.