Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1922-07-19


obliged to take the necessary steps
to give that board jurisdiction, and
that the labor board, after you
made and insisted on before it the
objection which you now reiterate
in your telegram, proceeded to de-
eide the case, thereby determining
that the carriers had made all of
the efforts required by the law to
settle with their employees by nego-
|tiation before appealing to the labor
board.
You further know, but do not
state, that the difficulty in agree
ing on a reduction in wages was
that the employees would not agree
to it because of instructions re-
ceived by them from your organi-
cation that they, instead OF agree
ing to reductions, should insist on
increases. This failure to agree is
further evidenced by the fact that
when the reduction in question was
directly ordered by the labor board
you proposed not to accept it, but,
on the contrary, to strike for the
purpose of tieing up the entire rail
transportation facilities of the Unit
ed States to prevent the reduction
going into effect.
4. You charge that various rail-
road systems have undertaken to
contract out both work and shops
in order to take the men employed
out from under the protection of
the railroad labor organizations
and to deprive them Of the protec-
ton of the transportation act, by
which latter it is assumed you mean
the protection OF the labor board.
whose order you now defy.
Farming Out" Work.
You do not state, although you
doubtless know, that the contract
ing out of work and shops has been
resorted to by comparatively few
have acted individually and upon
their own responsibility.
They have been advised by their
counsel, as we are informed, that
in letting such contracts they arc
strictly within their legal rights;
that the labor board has no juris-
diction to determine otherwise; and
that they are ready to submit this
question of bonafide differences to
the properly constituted legal cri-
.bunals, and will loyalty abide by
the result.
1t seems appropriate, however, to
point out that, If you have a griev-
ance against these individual lines.
you should address them. This you
do not do, but are seeking to make
it an excuse for an attempt to In
terrupt transportation on all lines.
including the few contracting roads
and also the many others who have
not resorted to the contract method
1t should also be noted that there
Is a marked difference between the
attitude of the contracting roads,
on the one hand, and the attitude
of yourself and those whom you
represent, on the other; for the
contracting roads decline to accept
a decision Of the labor board in a
case where there is bonafide diff
ference Of opinion as to the boards
Jurisdiction, but are ready to COM
ply with the boards findings as
soon as by properly constituted al
thority 1t Is determined to be valid;
whereas you and your associates
defy the labor board and its lawful
order IN a proceeding confessedly
within its jurisdiction.
Strike Not Justified.
It Is impossible within any rea-
sonable limit of space to single out
any reply TO all the erroneous and
misleading statements contained in
your telegram. Suffice 1t to say
there has been and is nothing in the
conduct of the carriers to justify
the act which you notify W. you are
about to commit.
There can be no question about
the facts.
The facts are that the terms on
which in your telegram you now In
sist, have been duly and fully pre-
scented to the labor board. This
board, has patiently heard the evil
dence on which you rely to support
your demands, as well as that Of
fered In opposition, and have listen
ed to and duly considered your ar
guments in support Of your position.
You fully participated in this law
full arbitration and had your day in
court.
The board on this hearing de-
cided against you and rejected the
demands which you now insist. un-
der penalty of strike, that we
accept, and rendered a decision
fixing the wages which in its opin-
ion are just and fair under the cir
|cumstances.
Creation Of Labor Board.
The labor board was created by
an act of congress. In its labor
provisions it constituted a serious
and maturely considered effort by
congress peaceably and equitably to
adjust labor controversies, protect
every Just right of labor, and to
prevent strikes and lockouts by
providing a duly organized govern
ment tribunal to hear and deter
mine labor controversies affecting
carriers and their employees, and
thus avert from the public the dis