New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1921-07-02
Rail Unions
Expected | to
Accept Cut
Leaders of ''Big Four" in
Chicago, Outline Plan to
File Protest and Seek
conference Z With Roads
Decision ON Strike
Left to Committee
Radical Action Only Like
ly From Maintenance
of Way and Shop Crafts
Special Dispatch to The Tribune

CHICAGO, July 1.-Talk of nation
VIDE rail strike had practically died
away and compromise was in the air
when the chairmen of the railroad
labor organizations gathered in Chi
cago to decide on the acceptance or re-
lection of the United States Railroad
Labor Boards wage cut adjourned
their various group meetings to-day.
The "big four" brotherhoods-en-
g1neers, firemen, conductors and
trainmen-are said to be outlining a
plan of informal acceptance" which
IN effect will be an acceptance of the
IL per cent wage cut under protest. An
attempt, it is said, will be made by
them to reopen negotiations with the
railroads themselves and if no settle
ment is reached to ask the Railroad
Labor Board to reconsider their cases.
In event of new negotiations the cases
automatically would 60 before the La
Dor Board again if q settlement were
not reached. The "big four brother
hoods comprise the men who actually
run the trains, and any action taken
by them would dominate the railroad
situation.
a committee of five was selected to
take final action and to draw Up a
statement of whatever course is to be
pursued. An ironclad agreement was
entered into by the members not to
make public any action until a state
ments is issued signed by all members.
TEis probably will be given out-to-mor-
row.
Members of the COMMITTEES
Those on the committee are B. M.
Jewell, president of the Railway EN-
plcyees' Department of the American
Federation of Labor; E. H. Fitzgerald,
president of the Brotherhood of Rail-
way and Steamship Clerks, Freight
Handlers, Express and Station I'm
ployees; L. E. Sheppard, president of
the Order Of Railroad Conductors; !;
j. Manion, president of the Order
Of Railroad Telegraphers, and W. F.
Krider. president Of the international
Brotherhood of Firemen and Oilers
Any radical action taken may be
looked for from the maintenance OF
way workers and some of the shop
y e,
cut for common labor. Chairmen of
these organizations decided to postpone
final action until next Thursday, when
their decision will be given out at
Detroit
The brotherhoods met in the after
noon in secret session and later went
into group conferences to consider the
wage cut. The four groups will re-
port back to the general meeting at
10 o'clock tomorrow morning, when an
attempt will be made to thresh out the
entire question.
While the brotherhoods were meet
ing other organizations were holding
group sessions in the various hotels,
and the Railroad Labor Board handed
down a decision announcing another
wage cut. The new decision cuts the
wage of 5000 shop employees of the
Pullman Company from six to eight
cents an hour, the same reduction
named for the railroad shop crafts.
The international presidents of the
six shop crafts conferred to-day until
2 o'clock, when they adjourned until
Saturday. Mr.. Jewell presided ct the
session, which was attended by J. A
Franklin, of the boilermakers; Martin
electrical workers; ]. w. Kline, black
smiths; j. J. Hynes, sheet metal work
ers, and J. F. Anderson, vice-president
Of the machinists, who was acting for
w. H. Johnson, the president, now in
Europe.
The clerks and telegraphers met at
the Lexington Hotel and the switch
men at the Fort Dearborn. No definite
action was decided upon by either of
these organizations, so far as could be
learned. Timothy Healy, international
president of the stationary fremen and
oilers, announced his organization had
rejected the wage cut by 90 Der cent
vote. This organization has small
membership compared with other rail
unions