Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1921-08-02
THE DISPUTED ELECTIONS
ON THE PENNSYLVANIA
The Railroad Labor Board Decides the
Committees Were Not Chosen
According to Law

NNllE explanation of the order of the Rail-
L road Labor Board invaidating the cleo
tiOn of employees committees on the Penn
Sylvana Railroad System is contained in the
Esrh CummnS law.
The second section of that part Of the
law dealing with disputes between employ
crs and employees provides that Railroad
Boards of Labor Adjustment may be cstab
lShcd by agreement between any carrier,
group of carriers or the carriers as whole
and any employees or subordinate officials Of
carriers or Organizatio or groups of or
ganizatiOnS thereof.
The word to stress in this provision is
agreement. The committees elected by
the employees of the Pennsylvania System
were to constitute the Railroad Boards Of
Labor Adjustment.
The officials of the system sent out ballots
containing the names of candidates 10 serve
on the committees. These names wcrc SO
Icrted without reference to their labor
affiliations i is understood that the NOM
bcrs Of the labor unions wished to have rep
rCscntativeS ON the committees who should
be there as union men. When they failed to
carry their point the union men refused to
vote in the election and it went by default
to the men on the ticket sent out by the
railroad officials. The union employees pro-
tested
1t became evident at once that there had
not been agreement in forming the COM
mittccS. especially as the committees were
supposed to represent all the employees. The
Labor Board has accordingly ordered that
on or before August 10 there shall be con-
ference between the representatives. of the
road on the one hand and on the other
hand representatives of any labor organi-
zation or organizations whose members are
employed on the system. together with any
other representatives of the men with the
signed authorization of 100 unorganzcd
employees. This conference is to determine
the method Of holding a new election.
There IS thus afforded an opportunity to
find our whether the law will work. Its
provisions are intended to mark out the way
for cOncIiatng conflicting interests The
real conflict is over the relation Of the labor
unions with the employers.
The PENNSYLVANIA officials sought to ar
range for committees composed entirely of
their employees. regardless Of their union
athati ions. The union employees desire TO be
free To select their representatives in negO-
tintionS from the membership of the unions
regardless of the place where the members
are employed, That is. they desire to have
III" unions recognized rs unions.
'nder such plan it might occur that an
empIONc Ot the Great Northern Railroad
would represent the employees Of the Penn
Sylvan!a system in negotiations fixing the
rate Of wages and conditions of work on the
Pennsylvania or IN Othria of the uuiuu
whose duties were such that he was not IN
any railroad employment might be selected
TO do the negotiating.
When it is recalled that there are between
fifteen and thirty different unions of rail
road employees the difficulties in the way of
adjusting the wishes of the unions 10 the
desires Of the Pennsylvania officials will be
apparent.
y strong case can be made for the con-
t"ntion Of the railroad company that 1t
should not be compelled to deal with per-
sons who are not its employees in settling
the conditions Of employment. 1t is Il case
which nearly every employer will admit
without argument.
The labor unions have maintained that
such an arrangement would weaken their
organizations, If not destroy them They in
sist on the solidarity of interest Of all rail-
employees to select as their spokesmen whom
ever they will just as q man going into
court may select his lawyer
'nder the circumstances there can be no
settlement without some kind of compro-
mise. The public is not deeply interested in
the details of the disagreement. but 1t is
intensely interested in the efficient manage
ment of the railroads and in their operation
without interruption by n labor dispute