The toiler. [volume] (Cleveland, Ohio) 1919-1922, 1921-09-03
The Railroad Workers and
the Pennsylvania Railroad.
WHAT THE RAILROAD WORKERS ARE UP
AGAINST AND THE WAY OUT.
By TOM CLARK.

The Pennsylvania Railroad is a bill
lion-dollar concern, owning more than
21,OO0 miles of trackage, 72 subsidiary
railroad companies and large interests
in 254 related industries. In normal
times, it has working force of about
275,000 men.
This is a small kingdom and re-
presents control over at least 1,O00,-
900 people. The Importance of every
agreement made between the workers
on the railroad and the executives Of
the railroad hence is quite obvious.
The railroad executives were order
ed by the Railway Labor Board to
make new contract with the work.
ers. They intend to reduce wages,
eliminate overtime, and particularly
are determined to introduce the open
shop.
Seperate Agreements with workers.
One Of the specific methods that
the railroads have of reaching this
end is to obtain regional agreements
with the workers, thereby multiplying
the value Of organization. But they
dolnot stop there: they effect separate
agreements with the crafts, thus null
tiplying the number of agreements
and making it impossible for the men
to enter into joint action for any
specific purpose.
Another feature of the railroad 81
tuation must constantly be borne in
mind. In 1916, according to the World
Almanac, there were II financial
groups controlling the railway sys-
tenn of interlocking directorates, four
GROUPS have got into control Of all
the railroads of the country with
stocks of more than 6 billion dollars,
and bonds of an equal amount. These
groups are Morgan & Co., the Nation
al City Bank (Rockefeller group, the
First National Bank of New York
Baker group) and Kuhn Loeb & Co.
Although the Pennsyly anfa system
represents vast system Of roads, the
subsidiary roads effect seperate and
distinct agreements with their men,
thus confusing the situation to the
utmost. This is all part o. the scheme
that the financiers have projected, in
order to bring about chaos in the
ranks of the railroad workers.
Whereas the railroads are among
the most consolidated organizations
in the country, disposirg of hundreds
of millions of capital, having the SER
vices of the best experts in the line,
they are obstructing the workers in
their efforts to protect themselves in
the tremendous struggle for living
that is now going on.
Road Has Own Union.
The Pennsylvania Railroad resolved
that t would not recognize any labor
organization and hence proceeded to
organize it's own union, which has en-
rolled less than 10 per cent of the
workers in the shop crlifts. AS a mat.
ter of course, such bodies as the Ma
tional Association Of Manufacturers,
the National Founders Association,
the National Erectors' Association
(this latter concern Is the one that
refused to supply any iron structural
material to firms employing union
labor), and the Employers Associa-
tion of Chicago, have endorsed the
open shop move of the Pennsylvania.
Pretending to speak in The name Of
the "public"(), they declare that they
stand for freedom of contract and
the right to select the kind of shop
each industry desires and to have the
protection of the law in its opera
ton" This is the slogan Of the open
shop advocates!
The Pennsylvania Railroad was
ordered by the Railway Labor Board
j to meet representatives Of its work
ers to formulate new working con-
ditions. Elections were to take place
in order that the workers might de-
signate representatives to confer with
the railway executives. The Pennsyl-
vania, however, refused to recognize
anvsother union but its own, ignoring
$4,000 men, or more than 80 per cent
Of its shop employees, who are men,
bers Of the unions Of machinists,
boilermakers, blacksmiths, electri.
clans, trackmen, clerks, telegraphers
and other employees.
In addition, the railway executives
protested against the decision Of the
Railway Labor Board, which was tc
the effect that the workers might
elect any organization or person to
represent them in their dealings with
the railroads. The executives insisted
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