Norwich bulletin., 1922-08-03
NUMBER FOUR
tContinued from Pa.. onel

ed in the decisions of the labor board and that the sole question of validity. pending. is the authority of the labor board to determine as in decison No. 21S. the method Of selecting accredited representatives Of the eInpioyes. assum- ing that the rairoau mas appealed from the decision of the tinted States circuit court of appeal5. which sustained the action of the i-.u- Doara.
 Second. the carriers will withdraw all lawsuits growing out of the strike. and the railroad labor board decisions which have been involved in the strike may be taken. in the exercise Of recoE- nized rights by either party to the rail- road labor board for re-hearing'
 "It is our understanding that the
 representatives of the employees upon seeking a re-hearin- of the controverted decisions concerning wages and working conditions. will be afforded a prompt re- hearing and decision by the labor board.
 We assume also that the practically unanimous action of the employees in electing to suspend work and in contin-
 uinE this suspension under the sanction of. and in accordance with laws of their national Orsa nizations. has ended any
 captious questioning as to who are the
 properly accredited spokesmen of the
 vast majority of railway employees. We desire tn call attention to the orderly and disciplined conduct of these em- ployes under difficult conditions. which has demonstrated the indispensable value of their national organizations in
 aid of the effective adjustment of con-
 troversies and the efficient conduct of
 the industry.
 Third, all employees now on strike ] to be returned to work and 10 their for mer positions with seniority and othei rights unimpaired. The representative ! of the carriers and of the organizations especially agree that there will be nc discrimination by either party agains
 the employees who did or did not strike. "We are glad to observe that the ob.
 vious justice of this proposition hal 1 been accepted. IL would certainly be z
 wholesale injustice of unparalleled ex | tent. if hundreds of thousands of ex perenced men who have given four tC fort wears service. and whose value [, the transportation industry is propor l toned to the length of their service should he placed in a position of infer | iority to a limited number of men wh' have been employed as substitutes fo | these experienced raiiroa workers. Tn, | demand that such wrong should h' perpetrated as penalty against mel
 who have exercised a fundamental ant admitted right not to render service un
 der acceptable conditions was so un
 fair. that we could not believe it would
 receive the sanction of any impartia | judgment.
 I've understand the language "al l employees now on strike to include al
 employees who hold seniority rights un | der the rules agreed upon between tn,
 carriers and the organizations of em
 ployes or as promulgated by the Unite, States railroad labor board.
 ! Tt should be understood that In act | ing favOrably upon the proposals fo
 settlement of the pending controversies | the representatives of the organized
 employees feel that they are making con | sessions and sanctioning sacrices on tn | part of the employees which entitle then | to the highest consideration and to rec ognition as law-abiding American eiti zens who are ready and willing to d. all in their power. even beyond tha
 which Is strictly reasonable. In order t,
 promote industrial peace and to furthe | the uninterrupted ohw of the commerc of the nation.
 "We see evidence of little sacrifice re uuired on the part of the management | to whom like proposals have been sub
 mitted. They will suffer no loss il
 abandoning a host of futile lawsuits | complaining of wrongs which hay never been committed. It is understool
 that the labor board must confirm 1t previously announced position and tha
 the railways must abandon the con | demned practice of contracting out worl | and shops and restore the employees t | their former status. It should be note that this practice is not only viola
 tion of the transportation act and of tn decisions of the board. but as shown b, many decisions of the courts. is a vio I lation of the charter obligatiohs of tn
 railroads and would have been unlawful 1 without the passage of the transporta
 tion act or any action by the labo | board
 We understand that an effort will b | made to insure the setting up of board of adjustment. but. inasmuch a
 such a board can function effectivei
 only with the full cooperation of bot
 managementS and employees we can loo 1 merely with hope. and not with certain ! t-- oN