Polk County news. [volume] (Benton, Tenn.) 191?-1983, 1921-09-22
VOTE FOR STRIKE
ON WAGE CUT
JEWELL MAKES ANNOUNCEMENT
OF DECISION OF SIX FEoERAT-
Ed SHOP CRAFTS UNIONS
MEN ARE TOLD TO PREPARE
When New Working Rules Are Pro.
muIaated Another Strike Vote
VIII Be Taken

Chicago.-Railroad shopmen be-
longing to the six federated shop
crafts unions have voted to strike
against the general railroad wage re-
duction of July /, 1921, but will defer
any action until the PRONUNCIATION or
working rules now pending before
the United States railroad labor board
when another vote will be taken on
acceptance or rejection of the rules.
This announcement was officially
made by b. NJ. Jewell, head of the
shop crafts organizations at the mass
meeting of Chicago shop workers re-
Gently.
Belief that a stronger fight could
be made if a strike is called, with
the preservation of the shopmens
working rules as one of the goals, led
to the decision to withhold strike
call for the present, Mr.. Jewell said.
He and other union speakers coun-
selled the men to wait until the en-
tire wage and rules situation was be-
fore them rather than rush into a
strike which Mr. Jewell declared the
railroad arrangements desired.
I'VE can make real fight on the
rules proposition when we might not
have the full support of other branch
as of railway employees on wage
fight Alone" Mr.. Jewell said. IF
we want to protect our best interests,
we must wait until the time is oppor-
tune. But if the labor board releases
all the remaining rules to be acted
upon at one time then we will have
the whole matter before us. We will
need only one vote-to accept or re-
ject the rules-to determine what viii
be DONE"
This announcement was greeted
with applause and questioners jump
ed in all parts of the hall to press
for further details. Answering one
question, Mr.. Jewell asserted that the
shop crafts would have the co-opera-
tion of other organizations, including
the big four brotherhoods, If strike
were called and urged his audience
to prepare for action.
The strike vote, completed August
/, was announced as showing cou-
stitutional majority against the wage
reduction which went into effect July
!. This was the first official con
Tirmation of the result which has been
rumored for sometime. Condemns
ton of the operation of the labor
board and of its decisions was voiced
by all speakers at the meeting. Mr.
Jewell charged that the railroads
were attempting to use the board TO
take an unfair advantage of the in
dustrial situation. The boards meth
cd of drafting rules to supplant the
national agreement, wartime meas
ure, under which the employees work
at present, was asserted to be imprac-
teal because only seven of tle 1876
rules have been substituted.
Mr.. Jewell said he would demand
of the board that for once it meet
a situation in practical way" and
announce the remaining rules stimuli
taneously instead of piecemeal.
"When the board announces the
substitute rules, our committee will
take ballot Mr.. Jewell said. "If
the rules are not satisfactory and
the ballot says so, we will take the
result to the railroads. If they re-
fuse to grant our reasonable de-
mands they will have to stand re-
sponsible and answer to the American
people"