New-York tribune., 1921-10-23

Shop Crafts Decide to
Stay OH Jobs; Way En-
ployees and Stationary
Firemen Rescind Order
Clerks Also Are
Expected to Balk
1875 ,OOOW orkers Rebel
Against Brotherhood;
Telegraphers Only Aids

Led by the Federated Shop Crafts,
with membership of 100000,
more than half of the union rail-
road workers of the country de-
cided yesterday not to join the
brotherhoods in the general strike
called for next Sunday.
Besides the six shop crafts organi-
cations, the maintenance Of way
employees, numbering 5000, and
the stationary firemen, numbering
$4,000, voted to rescind previous
strike order. Leaders of the rail-
road clerks, who number 350,000,
said they would not strike. Of the
eleven standard unions only one,
the telegraphers, numbering 75,-
900, has definitely decided to join
the brotherhoods.
The Interstate Commerce Commits
sion ordered a 16 per cent reduc-
ton put into effect Immediately on
rates on grain, grain products and
hay in the western half of the
United States.
Trainmen of the International &
Grea: Northern, Texas road, put
their strike into effect in defiance
of the orders Of the United States
Labor Beard that the status quo
be maintained until after tho
boards hearing in Chicago next
Wednesday.
The Department of Justice took
hand in the International & Greet
Northern strike because the road
is in the hands of a receiver and
hence under direction of the Fed
eral court. Federal marshals
were ordered to protect the road s
property.
CHICAGO, Oct. % (By The Asso.
ciated Prcss).-Officials of unions with
more than half of the rail employees
of the nation in their membership to-
night announced that their men would
not be authorized to join the big
Five" organizations in the strike called
for October 30 in protest of wage cuts.
Announcements that they would net
join in walk-out came from eight
of the eleven standard" rail unions,
which, for week. had 0een withhold
ing their final strike decisions, al
though in most of them the members
had voted overwhelmingly to quit work
rather than accept recent 1212 per
cent wage reduction authorized by the
United States Railroad Labor Board.
Only one of these eleven groups now
is determined to stand by the Big
Five" it was announced, but two
others have not yet taken final action.
10000 Rescind Order
Following announcement by heads Of
the six shcp crafts organizations, con-
trolling 900 900 men, that they would
not sanction walk-out. the leaders Of
the 375,000 maintenance OF way en-
ployees and of the $4,000 stationary
hremen, at an executive meeting. voted
to withdraw their authorization of a
walk-out. leaving only the $4,000 rail-
road telegraphers positively with the
big five" Chieftains of the $4,000
clerks will make their decision to-
M 'rrow, and the s:gnalmen, $4,000
strong, also are yet to act.
Officials of the clerks said tonight
that they probably would not authorize
a strike at their meeting, thus indi-
eating, union leaders said, that a
strike. if it materialized. would affect
less than onefourth of the country's
railroad employees being confined to
the switchmen, the conductors. the
hremen, the engineers. the trainmen
and the telegraphers. The organiza-
tions which decided not to join an i'm.
mediate walkout will take new strike
votes after an expected labor board
decision in REGARD to rules and working
conditions, it was said.
The first strike of the strike ordered
by the brotherhoods began at noon on
the international & Great Northern,
where six hundred trainmen started a
walkout which union leaders declared
would be 100 per cent effective among
members of their organizations, al
though officials of the road insisted only
freight service would be impaired.
Makes Federation Neutral
The action of the Federated Shop
Crafts who number one-f fourth of the
country's rail workers, was said by union
men o preclude the likelihood of the
American Federation OF Labor taking
any great part in rail strike, for the
shop crafts are members of this organi-
zation and the Big Four brotherhoods
which first announced a strike move
ment, are not.
The action of the shop crafts was de-
clared by many union heads to be the
most significant since the first strike
orders by tie Big Five" were sent out,
and followed a desperate campaign of
missionary work during the week by
the leaders to prevent a walkout Of
these men after they had voted over
whelmingly to strike rather than ac-
cept the recent 1914 per cent wage cut.
The shop crafts were termed by union
men the backbone of the eleven stan
dard' rail unions"
Failure Of the big four brotherhoods
to agree to stand by the shop crafts
through a strike resulted in the refusal
to authorize a walk-out, according to a
statement issued by heads of the
union which form the railway avn