The Connecticut labor news., 1922-03-03
RAILROAD HEADS
 COERCED CLERKS
 IS NOW CHARGED
Didn't Seek to Discuss Wage Cuts and Rules, but Arbitrarily
 Went Ahead.
By Phil E. Ziegler, Editor, The
 Railway Clerk.


 Railway Clerk
 International Labor News Service.)
 Charging that the railroad managers did not enter into negotiations with the representative of the clerks, freight handlers, express and station employees for the purpose of reaching an agreement on the proposed reduc ton in wages as IS contemplated in the Transportation Act, but arbitrar fly laid down their proposition to the employees representatives to be ac- cepted as presented or left alone, E. H. Fitzgerald, grand president, Brotherhood of Railway and Steam ship Clerks, Freight Handlers, Ex press and Station Employees, i'll let ter to the Labor Board, challenges the various eX parte submissions made to the board by these railroads, and protests that they are not prop erly before the board in accordance with the Transportation Act
 Grand President Fitzgerald's letter to the board states that with but one exception the general chairmen repre- senting the employees on the various railroads state that 1t developed in the conferences that the management could not negotiate rates of pay un- less the committees were willing to accept the reductions demanded "It amounted" says MT. Fitzgerald, ito the proposition of the railroads submitting to our committees re- quest for certain specified reductions in rates of pay, with the advice that nothing less than such specified re- auctions would be accepted. The mo- ment that our committees stated that such reductions could not and would not be accepted the managers stated there was nothing further to confer about It seems that all that was de sired was for our committees 10 state that they could not and would not accept the proposed reductions The managers would not confer or negoti- ate with the end i'll view of perhaps agreeing upon reductions at variance with their original proposal"
 Grand President Fitzgerald said there was but one exception among upwards of 70 cases, which Is prima facie evidence that the various gen eral managers received orders from some source to follow certain fixed procedure, not for the purpose of reaching agreements on these dis putes as IS contemplated in the lrdnSpOrtdl1On ACt, put TOT the sole purpose of getting the dispute before the Labor Board; and that the rail road in bringing these ex parte sub missions to the board have paid little or no attention to the justness and reasonableness of the present rates of pay or the seven relevant factors of the Transportation Act.
 If the Labor Board rules that the submissions are properly before the board Grand President Fitzgerald in sists that each general chairman of our general committees shall have the privilege of appearing for the purpose of defending the present rates of pay of the employees he represents
 Coincidnt with the filing of the pro- test with the Labor Board Mr. Fitz- gerald addressed letter to T. Dewitt Cuyler, chairman, Association of Rail way Executives, suggesting that as our general committees have been unable to hold satisfactory confer ences with the various railroads a conferences with the representatives of the association might be produc- tive o further and perhaps satisfac- tory negotiations.