The Union daily times. [volume] (Union, S.C.) 1918-current, 1922-08-11
Loss to Workers

With the closing or the books at
the first month of the strike of 100,-
600 railroad shopmen, employment ex-
perts figured that the total wage loss
to the strikers amounted to something
more than 100000. The strike
was called as a protest against wage
cut amounting to $GO,000,000 year.
These calculations, however, arc hy-I
pothctical, and are based upon the as
sumption that between 100000 and
100000 shopmcn have been ouS of
work since the strike was called ,ruiyI
l. AS a matter of fact, large pro-
portion of the strikers wer, not wijh
out employment. Reports from car
r.crs all over the country lc, d, railroad
officials to estimate that at Least &C.
600 shopmen kept at their j,>s when
the strike was called.
Some Switched Shov&.
In some localities the shop r,rces
walked out en- masse; in oth,.' Sc ions
they kept at their jobs alr.oc' With
out break. In addition Numbers cf
striking shopmen sought and obtained
employment in other railroad ops
than those in which they had been
working. The extent of this move
ment appears to have been larger
than was at first estimated. O hers
have drifted into other lines of ON
rloyment, especially in automobile
factories, road construction and har-
veSting.
Based on reports from varicr5 "a!
centerS, one estimate was that not
more than one-third of onc-haf OF the
striking shopmen have been con,inu-
cusly out Of work since July /. Ac-
cording to these reports, which appear
to be conservative, out of some 30O.-
COO to 100000 strikers, at least l5O-
coo have taken jobs either in other
rail shops or in other industries. On
this basis, the wage loss to the idle
men is figured to DC now running at
the rate of more than $5,OOO.O0O a
week, or about $25,OOO,ooO for the
month.
Split Over Seniority Question
The strike of the railroad snopmcn,
which was called because of wage re-
ductions ordered by the United States
Railroad Labor Board, and alsc be-
cause the unions charged railroad
companies with sending their rcpa =
work to private shops in order to
cvadc wage and working conditions
laid down by the labor board. soon
developed another phase which pre-
vented an early settlement. Both
wages and working conditions we've
cclipscd by the question Of seniority
lights.
There was no question but that two
weeks after the shopmen had walked
cut, satisfactory agreement could
have been reached on the differences
for which the strike was called. But
there were between $4,000 and 5000
shopmen who remained at work, and
to this number there were added as
the weeks went by perhaps 2OO,OO0|
additional workmen, all employed un-
DER the promise Of the railroad heads
that their jobs would be permanent
and that they had acquired the sen
iority rights which the strikers had
forfeited.
The strikers, while willing to have
the railroad labor board grant them
rehearing on the wage issue, and
content to take the promise Of the
railroads against further "farmin-
cut CT repair work, absolutely re-
fused to return unless their seniority.
relief and pension rights were return
ed to them in full. This the railroad
companies refused to do, and it was
over this point the deadlock grew.
President Harding himself sug-
g"stcd the compromise plan for sub
mission to both sides. The White
iiousc suggestion was That all old
ShCpmcn who remained at work should
be advanced to the head of the sen
icrity list, but that the strikers should
re listed next in line, with the new
workmcn employed during the strike
beng relogated to the bottom of the
list, rs it was held that most of these
would soon be out of rail cmploymr1,
with the return Of the strikers
Meanwhile railroad transportation
continued with but little hindrancc \
total Of perhaps 300 mail, EXPIRE s and
passenger trains were Cancelled dur
ing the first month of the strike, most
ly in the South, the Southwest and the
Middle West but there was no real
curtailment of traffic. In fact many
of the roads, particularly in the East
and Middle West, reported the largest
freight movement in two years.