Evening star., 1921-08-16
FORMER ERIE men
EXACT UNION RULE
Decline Jobs Offered in
Leased Plant Under
"0pen Shop" Plan.
By the Associated Press.

MARION, Ohio. August 16.-Coh-
sideration of the offer of the Rail-
| way Service Company. which yes
i terday took over the Erie Railroad
shops here to give employment to
, shopmen who were employed by the
Erie Company up to the time OF the
of members of local shop crafts unions
here last night. No official announce
ment was issued. but members who
attended said that it was decided by
all present, numbering about 150. not
! to work for the new operating COM
pany excepting under union rules
which formerly prevailed In the shops.
The Railway Service Company, In
taking over the shops under contract
| to do the Erie Company's repair work
here, announced yesterday that the
shops would be run in a manner SINH
lar to the large manufacturing plants
/; at Marion, most of which are operat-
| ed on the open shop principle. T. A.
Clawsen. president of the local ma
, chinists union, announced today that
! since trouble arose more than week
| ago. due to the Erie Company's dis
continuing payment of overtime for
Sunday work and resuming the ten
! hour day. about $50 men had been
! brought to Marion to work in the
shops. They had been persuaded to
leave, however. by peaceful means, he
said. and there would be no violence
on the part of the union men.
I Guards who took up positions
| around the shop buildings and roun-
house last night continued patrolling
today, while additional members of
the Erie's police force have arrived in
Marion.
Shops Are Taken Over.
Y he Do;
lied by local manufacturers, bankers and
business men. has taken over operation
of the Erie railroad shops and round
house here. The Service Company leased
the buildings and equipment of the rail-
road company and has contracted to
do all repair and other work hereto
fore done by employees of the rail-
road.
Employment was offered to all en-
ployes of the Erie Company in the
position and receive the same pay
as that received from the railroad
| company. According to announce
ment by w. A.. Baldwin. manager
the employees of the new operating
| concern will "be assured Of fair
treatment in accordance with the
| practice of the extensive manufac-
turing concerns of Marion"
| Most of the larger manufacturing
companies in Marion are represented
| in the membership of the Marion
| Employers Association. an organi-
| zatiOn of manufacturers. and all OF
! these are operated on an "open-shop"
! basis.
Not a "COmmon Carrier"
Since the Railway Service Company
is not a common carrier" IT was
pointed out here. that 1t undoubtedly
would not be subject to supervision
by the Railroad Labor Board and
would not come under the provisions
of the Esch -Cummins railroad act.
No statement was issued as to
the number Of Erie employees who
had accepted employment with the
operating company. Work was being
done at the shops. however. with
the Erie system, acting as shop
The situation is somewhat clouded
by the curtailment of the number OF
shop employees following enforcement
August I of orders issued by the
ton of the ten-hour day, cessation
of payment of overtime for Sunday
work and submission to physical
examination by each employe. Until
recently a force of from 400 to 500
men has been maintained.
Railroad officials have admitted
that a number of men have left the
employment of the company because
Of dislike for the new working con-
ditions. but statement issued. over
the signatures of the presidents Of
the shop crafts unions, declared that
the men had been "sent home" In
each case where they had refused to
report for work on Sunday at the
straight rate of pay and where they
refused to undergo the prescribed
physical examinations.
An advertisement In an evening
paper here announced that the new
operating concern had employment
! for "a number of machinists and
boiler-makers," and that a physical
examination would not be required.
Erie Company Statement.
In announcing establishment of the
new system. the first of its kind in
the country, the Erie company de-
lief that local conditions can best
| be appreciated and most intelligently
met by the knowledge and interest
of local supervision and support.
Much of the maintenance and repair
! work of the Erie company has here
J tofore been done under contract in
| territory covered by the line, 1t was
said
Until the announcement of the for
nation of the service company and
under the direct supervision of the
Erie company was made here. nothing
was known of the plan. Incorpora-
ton papers were filed with the sec
retary of state at Columbus late Sat
urday and no announcement had
come from his office previous to the
notice given employees here this
morning.
Tcni~ht nurrher of men We're
walking around the roundhouse and
snop uuiluings, apparently acting as
guards. Feeling which was aroused
when the Erie company announced
its new working conditions had ap-
parently not abated following today's
announcement, but there was no out
ward indication that trouble was
likely.
sHoPMEN ARE DROPPED.
Erie EmnloYes Decline to Obey