The Washington herald., 1921-08-01
Calls Refus al to Meet
Shop Men "Almost
Treas0nable." !"
FINDS ELECTIONS
ENTIRELY UNFAIR
Declares Employees Have
Right to Choose Rep
resentatives.

CHltASop JuAg 49,
the Pennsylvania Railroad to meet
authorized representatives OF the
Federal shop Crafts in formulating
new working rules Is almost
reasonable" the United states
Railroad Labor Board declared In
a sizzling broadside issued tonight
The railroad. in addition to its
refusal to follow the dictates Of
the board for the temporary con-
tinuation of the national working
agreements granted employees under
Federal administration of rail-
roads. openly defied the board, and
it's officials stated that they would
meet its men in whatsoever manner
they decided. Employe representa-
tives to meet with the Pennsylvania
executives for the making OF work
ing rules were elected by a secret
ballot conducted by the road.
Declares Election Unfair.
The answer OF the board today
is the most vitriolic utterance made
by that body since its inception.
1t declares the election of the en-
ploye representatives by the Penn
sylvania unfair and illegal" and
the result of the election is entirely
discredited and thrown out and a
new election ordered in which the
name of the Federal Shop Crafts
is to be put on the ballot.
"Haggling over non-essentials"
can only result in social chaos,
the board declared.
Neither of the parties to this
dispute can serve the country. or
Justify themselves in the eyes OF
the public by any amount of propa-
ganda, IL they Permit a controversy
over small technicalities to inter-
rupt commerce and bring loss and
suffering upon themselves and the
public" the boatd- stated .---s,,z>
Finds Few Allowed to vots,
There Is no question. of open shop
involved IN this dispute. and no
other matter of principle.
AT a time when the nation Is
slowly ano painfully progressing
through the conditions Of indus
trial depi ession. unemployment ana
unrest consequent upon the war. II
is almost reasonable for any en-
ployer to stubbornly haggle over
at the risk of social
ch Ios."
The board declared that under the
method of electing employe repre-
sentatives to negotiate new rules
adopted by the Pennsylvania road.
only l0.5 per cent of these en-
ployes are represented in these ne
and S9.5 per cent virtually
A total of 33.104
employees were entitled to vote. II
is stated, and but $3.50 were given
the opportunity.
Denounces Carrier Control.
In addition the board orders that
the railroad shall be compelled to
allow every former employe now
re-employed.
"Ths carrier had no more right
to undertake to assume control of
the selection of the representatives
of the employees than the employees
would have had to supervise the
naming of the representatives of
the carrier, for the statute plainly
provides that the employees shall
designate and authorize the repre-
sentatives," the order states.
In this sophisticated land of pop
ular elections. no political party
would submit to having it's primary
held and managed by the opposing
party. II Is entirely proper. how
ever, that the carrier should be
given every facility for first hand
of the maner in which
it is conducted and the correctness
of the result reached and announced.
Wanted Omcers Chesen.
THE labor board also holds that,
the employees may vote for represen-
tatives who are not employees of the
carrier, il they so desire, just as the
who is neither a director nor
1t seems. however, that
the employees in this instance were
not asking to have the name of any
placed on the ballot, but
simply the name of their organi-
cation, which would have resulted
as the carrier we'll knew, in the en-
ployes being represented by the
officers of their organizations"
The railroad world has been
anxiously for this decision
FOR weeks.
The Pennsylvania was the first
big carrier to refuse to accept the
iecision of the board. The attitude
Of the railroad following this order
will be watched with increased in
t1-est as continued defiance of the
board would amount to open rebel
ian against 'he transportation act
ID