The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1921-10-26
100000
REFUSE
TO STRIKE
Railroad Brot h e r
hoods Not Receiving
Expected Support
From Shopmen

railroad employees when officials
of the Brotherhood Of Railway and
Steamship Clerks, Freight Handl-
ers, Express and Station Employees
representing $4,000 men, voted
tonight not to authorize a walkout
by their members for the time be-
ing
This action increased the num-
Der OF major railroad unions
which have voted not to strike now
to nine and the number Of railroad
employees bound by such action to
about three-fourths of the coun-
try's total of approximately 2.000,-
600. The vote was taken in a meet
ing which lasted several hours and
in which some Of the officials at
first favored a walkout October 80
in protest of recent wage cuts.
These officials finally swung over to
a mo strike now" policy, but the
question of quitting work will be
taken up again after the labor
board renders q decision on the
rules and working conditions ques-
ton now before it. Tonight's ac-
ton by the clerks leaves the signal
men and the telegraphers the only
organizations in IL standard" rail-
road unions which may join the
conductors, fremen,. engineers,
trainmen and switchmen in the
strike they have called.
The telegraphers tentatively have
aligned themselves with the big
Five" but officials OF this union
said tonight that the decision
might be changed before the strike
date arr: ved. The signalmen have
not yet4I )ted.
While .he official statement an
nouncing the clerks action said
that everything had been harmon
ious in the meeting, individual Of
ficials declared the decision had
been made only after vigorous de-
5ate. 1t was argued by these off,
cials that the clerks. are more
closely related in their work to the
members of the Big Four brother
hoods than are any Of the other
unions and that consequently many
of them thought they should sup
port the Big Four IN its strike call.
The turning point in the debate
came when it was said the officials
announced that they, like the lead
ers Of the other standard" un-
ions, had not been able to persuade
the brotherhoods and the switch
men to agree to. support them
throughout the proposed strike.
When it was announced that the
brotherhood had informed the
officials that they would return to
work when their personal griev-
ances had been settled, regardless
of the action of other striking
unions, the sentiment swung to the
mo strike" plan, it was said by
those present at the meeting.
The statement announcing the
clerks action was almost the same
word for word as the one yesterday
from the federated shop crafts an
that their men would
not be authorized to strike. 1t was
pointed that the present is not the
time to strike"
Officials announced that the labor
board, as intinated by members,
would withhold the decision on
rules and working conditions until
after October 80. the date set for
the proposed strike by the big
Five"
Members let it be known that
all decisions on questions on which
there might be a strike will be
withheld until after that date, ex-
planning that in that way it was
hoped the walkout would be avoid
ed as the men have been ordered
by the board not to strike until
after the hearing Of railroad and
union chiefs which starts Wednes-
day.
The board announced tonight
that it was summoning 1,400 gen
eral chairmen of the unions af-
fected as we'll as the presidents.
The sessions will be open to the
public and large attendance is
Railroad officials tonight express
ed the belief that the backbone Of
the proposed strike was broken
when a majority Of the standard
unions decided not to strike Oc-
Lober 80. Although a strike
would affect all train service men,
said that service would
not be impaired for more than
day or two and that these men
would be quickly replaced.
s
Cleveland. Ohio. Oct. 23.-Re-
sponsibility for the nationwide rail
road strike, scheduled to begin next
morning. was placed on
the United States railroad labor
board and the carriers in state
ment issued here today. This and
the announcement that all the gen.
eral chairmen Of the big Five
numbering about 600
men, also have been cited to APP
pear before the board in Chicago
featured today's strike
developments here
The attitude Of the union chiefs
was explained after q conference
Of four of the big Five" leaders
today in q statement by Warren S.
Stone, president Of the Brother
hood of Locomotive Engineers. in
which the chiefs reitcrate the;:'
hope that a solution acceptable to
the employees may yet be found.
II was indicated that the STATE