The Washington herald., 1921-11-15
RAILROAD UNIONS
PREPARE RENEWAL
OF STRIKE THREAT
Will Regard Posting of
Wage Cut Notices as
Challenge.

CHICAGO, Nov. IL. - Railroad
brotherhoods are ready to reopen
the fight with the executives over
wages and working rules at the
drop Of the hat
Two of the big transportation
unions made this clear here in two
hot meetings at which IL was said
that the declared intention of the
carriers to post notices of wage cuts
this week Is a challenge TO the men
to strike.
It was the consensus Of 80 chair
men and the executive officers Of
the Brotherhoods OF Locomotive En-
gineers and the Firemen and En-
gihemep that the railroads want
war, and that revival Of the strike
vote recently withdrawn will have
TO follow the posting OF any notice
regarding wage cuts. ~.
Critieize Leaders for Truce.
The. brotherhoods at the second
meeting also framed a resolution
which Is. expected to be adopted,
notifying the Railroad Labor Board
of an "irreduc;ble minimum" that
will be acceptable to the men on
working rules.
Many OF the general chairmen at
the meeting spoke with great bit
| terness, severely criticising Warren
s Stone. grand chief Of the engi-
neers. and w. s. Carter. president
| Of the flremen,. for accepting the
truce offered by the Rail Labor
Board when the strike order was
withdrawn a few weeks ago. Both
Stone and Carter were present.
Much of the time Of both meet
Ings was devoted to discussion of
working rules, which, according to
speakers, the railroads are gradu-
ally modifying until I'VE soon will
be back where we were thirty years
ago."
Expect New strike Threat.
The calling in Of general chair
men of the big unions from all
| parts of the country is considered
in railroad circles as being indubi-
table evidence that the unions are
preparing for a revival of the strike
threat. The resolution to notify
the Railroad Board of what will be
accepted on. working rules. which
had not been brought to a vote here
tonight, was also regarded as q
threat, as none of the rules affect
ing these organizations has yet
been handed down.
Developments in this situation are
expected to crystallize rapidly dur
ing the next two weeks. The Labor
Board Is about TO hand down the
third section of the working rules
aneoting the shop crafts. That
many Of the new rules will modify
old regulations In favor Of the car
/ riers is a foregone conclusion, as
the frst two sections Of these rules
made radical changes In wartime
regulations
Urge Stand on workipE Rules.
The board will then take up the
brotherhood rules affecting over
time, hours of labor and other fun
damentals.
We have got to serve notice on
the board OF an irreducible mini
| num-" declared one general chair
man at the meeting in the Masonic
Temple. we never have gone be-
fore this board or any other arbi-
tratfon tribunal that we did not
lose some Of our privileges. We
must stay leo per cent pat on our
working rules or we will 60 up
the spout. The executives are go-
ing ahead, and we are standing
still. What are our executive offi-
GERS doing? Z came to this meet
ing with instructions to see thai
something Is done"
1t was the opinion of the chair.
men that a stand should be made
on working rules before any def.
mite action Is taken on wages.