Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1922-08-02
UNION MEN SAY
RAILWAYS SEEK
To CLOUD ISSUE
Want to Use Seniority as
Basis for Trade, They
Assert; Railways Say Men
Warned of Forfeiture.

Comment from railway Official
circles and from union leaders on
the refusal OF the railway eXecu'
tives to accept President Harding
proposal for a strike settlement
shows divergence of opinion re-
garding the status of the seniority
question.
Railway officials say the men
knew before they struck that SEN
iority would be forfeited if they
left their jobs.
Union men declare that the sen
iority controversy has arisen since
the strike began and is being used
by the railways as a basis to obtain
concessions from the unions in the
settlement that they expect eventu-
ally to be made.
The Railway Side.
Captain w. G. Reid, New Mex
leo solicitor for the Santa Fe rail-
way, gave the following statement
for publication last night.
when the federated shop crafts
went on strike on July !, they were
given notice by the management
of the Santa Fe system. that If the
men proposing to strike left their
employment, they would forfeit all
their seniority rights, and, If en-
ployed again, would be employed
as new men. Workers who have
since been employed to take the
places Of the men on strike have
been given to understand that the
jobs they were taking were per-
manent, that their seniority would
date from the date of their en-
plOyment, and that their standing
on the seniority roster would be es-
tablished in accordance with the
number of employees actually in
service on the date of their en-
ployment.
zone OF the results of an ac-
ceptance of the presidents propo-
sal would have been that pra cti-
cally all Of these men so employed
would have had to be laid off. In
short, in passing on the presidents
proposal, tho railway executives
We're faced with an alternative in
volving an absolute reputation of
an agreement made in good faith
with men needing employment and
having the courage to accept en-
ployment in the face of strike,
which agreement they were moral
ly, If not legally, bound to carry
out
1.-THE decision Of the railway ex-
ecutives' refusing to accede to the
presidents proposal is simply an
election to carry out in spirit and
effect the agreement which thew
have made with workers employed
since the strike began"
The Unions side.
THE railroad executives are
playing up an issue that did not
exist at the beginning OF the strike
when they bring forth the seniori-
ty matter as an obstacle in the way
of settling the present labor dis
pute," said the w. S. Patterson,
secretary-treasurer of the ma
chinlsts' international union. on
the Santa Fe system. last night.
1T is the belief of the unions
that the railroads are using it as
the basis Of something upon which
to trade when the time comes to
get together and make settle
ment. As the matter had nothing
10 do with the cause of the walk
out 1t should not have to be con-
sldered in the matter of settle
ment. The men will insist thai if
they return to work their seniority
ana other rights have not been
tortelted or even jeopardized, as
THESE rights had nothing to do
with the original question in
volved,
IT is our belief that the strike
VIII be settled within a few davs"