The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1921-09-21
Sumter, S. c., Wednesday, September Il, 1921
Railroad Shopmen
Vote For Strike
Action is Deferred However
Until Labor Board Promul-
gates Labor Rules

Grated Shop Crafts union have vot-
cd to strike against the general
railroad wage reduction of July |,
1921. but Will defer any action un-
/ til the PRONUNCIATION Of working
rules now pending before the Unit
ed States railroad board, when
further vote Will be taken on &C
eeptance or rejection Of the rules.
This announcement was official
~ made by p. NJ. Jewell, head OF
! the shop crafts organization. at a
mass meeting Of Chicago shop
workers today.
| Eelef that stronger fight
could he made if strike is called.
With preservation Of the shopmens
working rules as one Of the goals.
led to the decision to withhold
| strike call for the present. MI.
Jewell said. f4e and other union
| ips akers ccunselled the men 10
wait until the entire wage and rules
| cituation was before them rath.r
than rush into strike which. MI.
Jewell declared the railroad man
agements desired.
Eve can make a real fight on the
rules proposition when We might
not have the full support OF o,her
| branches of railway employees on
a wage fight alone" NLr. Jewell
said IF we want to protect our
| best interests. We must wait until
the time is opportune. But if the
labor board releases all the remain
ins rules to be acted upon at one
| time. then we viii have the whole
matter before US We will need
only vote--to accept or reject the
rules-to determine what will be
done"
This announcement was greeted
with applause and questjoners
jumped up in all parts of the hall
TO press for further details. An
swering one question, Mr.. Jewell
asserted that the shop crafts would
have the cooperation Of other or
ganizations. including the big four
brotherhoods. if strike were call
ed, and uregd his audience to pre-
pare for action.
The strike vote, completed Aug
ust /. was announced as showing a
constitutional majority against the
wage reduction which went into ef-
feet July l. This vas the first Of
hcial confirmation Of the result
which has been r.;mored for some
time. Condemnation Of the oper-
! ations of the labor board and Of its
decisions was voiced by all speak
erS at the meeting. Mr.. Jewell
| charged that the railroads We're at
tempting 20 use the board to take
an unfair advantage Of the indus
trial situation. The boards meth
Cd of drafting rules to Supplant
! che national agreement. a war time
measure under which the en-
ployees work at present, was as
serted to be impractical because
only seven Of the 1876 rules have
been substituted.
Mr.. Jewell said he would de-
nand of the board that for once.
it meet situation in a practical
way" and announce the remaining
rules simultaneously instead of
piecemeal.
when the board announces the
substitute rules. our committee will
take a ballot" Mr. Jewell said. IF
the rules are not satisfactory and
the ballot says SO, we will take the
result of the railroads. II they re-
fuse to grant our reasonable de-
mands, they will haze 70 stand re-
sponsible and answer to the Amer
ican people,
y. p. Good. chairman Of the
Pennsylvania system federation OF
shop crafts. said he thought that
the Pennsylvania had been select
ed to make a fight for the open
shop as the first step in such an
agreement on all roads. Condem-
! nation OF the piece work system
vas made by Edward Tegineyer.
vice president Of the blacksmith S
union. who said the attempt of the
roads to reins{ate piece work was
an aggravation to strike.
The railroads have been expect
ing us to strike" he said. They
want us to strike so they can put
us out Of business We want your
suggestions and advice and when
the time comes. tie your hats on.
We're down the line and going all
the way
General charges that the rail
roads were opposing demands of
the union as part of a movement
which, President jewell said. was
! backed by $4,000, 100000 or more
were made The object, he said.
was ito crush organized labor" He
cited alleged Unfair action by the
railroads in Offering to negotiate
rules on each individual road and
then failing to agree. Only five
agreements had been completed
among the 500 carriers on which
substitute rules were to be drafted.
The unions seek to retain the
! present rational agreements intact
and the Shoplnen. according TO the
union officials. will make a harder
fight for retention OF the&c rules
than in olpo2ition to reduced
wages.