The labor world. [volume] (Duluth, Minn.) 1896-current, 1922-05-06
Open SHOP Plan 4 \ I
FAILS TO BREAK.
~gr
up UN|0Nl|A||B0R
Workers Stick 'Oespls uiem-
p|oyment;; Employees Sur:
prissd at Determl PATTON. u
Continued from 4ge /.

,a;st.ke, 4. Et
There are several Rpsand idle
railxa'd workers. ali fahy Of them
arsSE,rv irlg. But t'Hwall continue
IT. to- u I've If scabbh ifs the alterna-
tive.{ yhe Western aryiand, IN TINS
land \ / unemployrnt ard poverty,
g .-&cann a., recruit ev.. a Rhandtui o1
scabs vi III which fight back their
!: !: !: uni9'' 4 :aployes. oo..
- iha, Nc ros6Ts dtyn4E so rapidly
saas. passengee i'fieI has all but
afta" ', and it wibe hany months.
kEhefou labor cendou are normal,
a. t+thaa o re the syste is klzde safe for
The Western M hand it is said
Troro aAIng mil ap| dollars daily
n. efi1ht ene RockGesf rs in a futile
tseo, against detsst: Git is able to
s.ssae the outporf pes"of the peni-
Il ,tentiaries to serxe}as gunner. but it
cannot persuade any honest worker
ito go there and take Jobs that were
4abahdoned by its loyal work ers be-
Z -caase their situation had become
j. iptolerab]e. =:
:. y Instances might be recitedA ihdef-
initely OF similar cases whkre@ eff
forts to destroy unionism have
failed because iof an inability to get
men to take strikers jobs.
They Can Stick.
If that doesn't prove that work ers
can stick, nothing can.
.. Federal Judge John c.. Rose, Of
Mo- k@Il a., ~,
of ost-ylusl contracts made with
dummy agents by railroads that are
): seeking to crawl from under the
:: transportation act.
This particular manner of deal
:. ing with men is clever" says Judge
y Rose. Indeed. it is too clever: it
is SO clever that it was never con-
.templated by the men who drew the
law"
49, He denounced cost-plus contracts
zs1nade with dummies as a" overin-
genious way of getting around the
statute. and was amazed that any
railroad management ha6 the au-
: dacity to try anything so transport
emily fraudulent and expect to get
away with it.
q. = Judge Rose was hearing an in
!. junction case instituted by the
President Of the We:tern Maryland
against employees who have struck
against the cost-plus system. After
he took one look at the contract,
presented by the railroad after a
= bitter fight to escape this humilia-
. ton, Judge Rose revoked the in
thoughts as to the fraudulent nature
,~.of. the transaction that provoked a
strike.
=, Court Will Settle Dispute.
d Encouraged by this initial success
attorneys for Western Maryland
strikers are going into court in their
own behalf and ask it to rule on the
contract. This will bring this issue
to a head. 1t is, perhaps, next to the
:, proposed wage cut, the most serious
Question that today confronts rail-
road workers. Many leaders believe
that it transcends in Importance the
question of wages. since it strikes at
the fundamental right of the work.
- ers to bargain collectively through
: their organization.
-. Norflat tier what the railroads may
. contend in justification of this new
policy, it is as clear as sunlight that
it's one object is to break up labor
organizations and force the workers
-. back to starvation wages. In every
instance where dummy contracts
have been made wages have been
cut and working conditions changed
ho 10
Machinists Gave Warning.
William H. Johnston, president of
the International Association Of
Machinists, has petitioned the Inter-
state Commerce commission to take
cosnizance of the situation, pursu-
ant to it's obligation to compel the
~ railroads to operate economically
and efficiently. Johnston points out
c'that an investigation just completed
:. by the Commission revealed the
amazing fact that similar contracts
made by the Pennsylvania and New
York Central Railroads imposed
y crushing costs upon the government
when it was guaranteeing expenses.
These roads, it is shown, paid
cost-plus contractors for repairing
engines from $4,000 to $4,000 more
than the work would have cost had
it been done in the company's own
shops.
- The workers believe that a fair
inquiry will reveal that millions Of
dollars are being wasted in contracts
made by the Western Maryland, the
Erie and other railroads..
: Manure Man Is Contractor.
- The Erie railroad has picked out
- manure collector to operate its
Important Jersey City shops. It is
4 losing thousands Of dollars in the
deal. AZ
+ The Western Maryland is losing
/ many millions as a 'esult Of it's
!. criminal methods.
-; The public, Of course, is COM
spelled to, pay the bill. The railroads
j. claim al guaranteed return of per
! cent and feel that they cam spend
s their money as they please.
-. The workers take different view.
They say that if cost-plus contracts
d IRE wasteful and extravagant the
u .Ru bic welfare is involved, and that
8 The court and the Interstate Com
.if1erce commission should put stop
q plan that is all around.
!. VI The dispute is now in shape for