Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1922-05-31
$4,000 RAIL MEN
TO VOTE ON STRIKE
Other erotherhoods May Follow
Action Of Track and
Shop Employees
RESENT WAGE REDUCTIONS
Dy tho Associated Press

"
United brotherhood Of Maintenance Of
Way Employees and Railway Shop
l.aborers today began, preparation Of
strike ballots TO be sent within the next
few days to the 47S.00O members Of the
organization throughout the. country
and to the approximately 5000 non.
union men of the crafts who would be
affected BY a strike.
The brotherhood members. with the
non. union men. will be asked to vote
on the question Of accepting the wage
recently ordered BY the United States
Railway Labor Board in Chicago.
II a majority Of the brotherhood votes
in favor Of rejection Of the decreases,
7. +. Cradle. grand president Of the
brotherhood. with headquarters here. is
empowered TO issue strike call i'm.
mediately. setting the date for the
walkout.
A resolution calling for the strike
vote and ordering Mr.. Cradle to take
the strike step in the event il Is sane
toned by the membership. was passed
late Yesterday at meeting Of the
brotherhood's executive council, com.
posed of all officers Of the union.
Printing $50. 900 Ballots
A strike ballot will be mailed to each
person affected by the reductions. it
being desired to give non union men
working beside those holding union cnrds
an opportunity to express their choice
between continuing work Mt the reduced
figures or suspending their efforts.
Presses at the brotherhood's printing
plant here were set in motion early in
the day turning out the ballots, it being
necessary to print more than $50 900.
Union officials expect the last of the
number will have been mailed by the
of next. All the replies are looked
for by the end Of June. If a strike Ia
desired by the membership such call
probably will 90 out during the first
week in July. Mr.. Cradle said. The
wage reductions ordered by the Labor
Board become effective July /.
The resolution calling for n strike
vote was adopted unanimously. 1t was
confined to the mere request for such
a vote and the empowering Of the pres
ident to call such strike If It was
ordered BY the membership.
The Executive Council, in a previous
statement to newspaper men. had de-
nounced the wage cuts ordered by the
board as unfair md unwarranted at
this time. holding they represented a
pay SidSl VI To-. ptr CenI lVT 'ue
average maintenance Of way worker.
They asserted further that the cost of
living had not declined more than 3 per
cent in most instances throughout the
country.
If strike should result all me-
chanics and maintenance Of way en-
ploycs on all the leading railroads OF
the country would be affected
The only exception. according TO Mr..
Cradle. would be employees Of short
line railroads that do not come under
the rulings Of the Labor Board. Those
crafts comprising the brothcrhood's
membership include mechanics. section
men and foremen. track men and their
foremen. bridge builders. painters. coal
chute men. cinder pit men. all common
laborers in shops, and all carpenters.
Other Brotheri,oods May Aid
Mr.. Cradle expressed the belief tina:
other railroad brotherhoods also would
conduct strike referenduns within the
near future, and declared il the others
voted to strike the maintenance Of way
men would join them. In the event the
members of his organization favored
such action.
The brotherhood's financial condition
Is the best it ever has been, and suff-
II
strike. the president said. He declined
to state the amount the brotherhood
has in its treasury.
Mr.. Cradle said he based his belief
that other unions might take strike
vote on the attitude shown ut the re-
cent meeting in Chicago Of representa-.
tives of the railway department Of the
American Federation Of Labor, at
which he said sentiment was favorable
for a strike vote in the event OF wase
reductions.
Chicago. May 3l.-A virtual ulti.
matum to the railroads Of America
through the United States Railroad
Labor Board was presented by the fed.
Grated shop crafts. representing 4OO. 900
railway employees. in a request yesterday
for q conference with the board tOmor-
row, when the Federal body will be
asked to take immediate jurisdiction of
all cases in which railroads are alleged
to be disobeying the boards orders.
If the board declines. a strike ballot
will 90 out at once to shopmen all over
| the country.
With n further wage cut threatened
| In n decision expected to DE handed
u,day, third question will likely be
placed on the ballot, according to b.
NJ. Jewell head of the shop crafts.
Two questions, one on alleged viola.
tions of board decisions by letting out
! hlop work and the other on climina
| tioI of time and q half. for overtime,
have already been authorized for sub.
mission TO the men.
If another pay cut is authorized by
tue board, the pending ballot will un
doubtedly be converted into triple.
barreled strike threat, Mr.. Jewell said.
| 1t was regarded as certain the vote
TO strike would be overwhelming, as the
shopmen already have n vote to strike
in their pockets from last years wage
| cut.
| The Executive Council Of the shop
crafts will ask the board immediately
take jurisdiction of disputes on nearly
seventy five railroads. Shop work has
been contracted to outside firms by
Twenty-Five of these railroads. Mr
jewell said, and fifty roads have illegally
reduce cd wages. he declared.