The Rathdrum tribune. (Rathdrum, Idaho) 1903-1963, 1922-08-11
ROADS STAND BY
LOYAL EMPLOYEES
Tell President Harding Old and
New Men Must Be Project
ed In Strike Settlement.
NOT A MATTER OF CHOICE
Faithful Employees Have Both Legal
and Moral Rights to Seniority
and Other Benefits.

and Other Benefits.
New York. The keynote of tn
reply made by railway executive
representing more than $50 Glass
railroads of the United States to tn
proposition of President Harding tina
"All strikers be returned to their worl
and their former positions, with sen
iority and other rights unimpaired,
lies in the last paragraph of tneil
reply to the president, as follows:
1T is submitted that the striking
former employees cannot be given
preference to employees at present
IN the service without doing vio-
lence. to every principle of right
and justice involved in this matter
and without the grossest breach OF
faith on the part of the railroads to
the fien at present in their service.
Under these circumstances, it
becomes apparent that the rail-
roads cannot consider any settle
ment OF the present strike which
does not provide protection in their
present employment both to the
loyal employees who remained in
the service and to the new en-
ployees entering it,"
The executives had accepted the
first two conditions proposed by the
ers and employees accept the deci-
sions OF the labor board, and that all
law suits growing out OF the strike
be withdrawn; and in relation to the
third condition state, not only as
above, but also as follows:
Agree With the President,
1.-THE railroad executives and man.
ayers agree entirely with the presi-
dents statement in his letter that it
is wholly unthinkable that the rail-
road labor board can be made a USE
full agency of the government in main
tanning industrial peace in the rail-
way service unless employers and
workers are both prompt and unques-
tioning in their acceptance of its
decisions.
Many men in the service refused
to join the strike and in so doing
were assured of the seniority rights
accruing to them and of the perman- !
ence OF their positions. On some i'm !
portant lines SO per cent or more re-
fused to join the strike. To these old
loyal employees have been added
thousands Of new men who were EN-.
ployed and could be secured only up
on definite promise that their serv-
ices would be retained, regardless of
the settlement of the strike, with all
the rights appertaining to such en-
ployment, including that of seniority
under the working rules and regula.
tons previously approved by the rail
road labor board.
Just the Opposite Effect"
I'VE especially point out that 4 re-
'usal to the old men who remained
n the service and to the new men who
accepted service of the rights of SEN
GRITTY incident to their employment
would have just the opposite effect
o that desired by the president, and
would most seriously discredit the
abor board ,
The board itself prescribed the
ules OF seniority under which the
nan referred to have secured
heir seniority rights, and the rail
Dad companies have neither the legal
or moral right to deprive these men
those rights. BY public utterances
nee the strike began the board has
scognized and emphasized these
ghts, and to deny them now would,
lstead oil UNFOLDING the authority of :
lie labor board, overthrow its rules :
nd discredit its authority, The chair =,
an of the labor board at the time =
e strike was called made the fol y
wing public statement -
\: Upon one question the striking -
employees should not be deceived II
Their leader has said that the Il
strikers are no longer EMPLOYEES =,
OF the railways, and they have thus Z,
automatically abandoned all the Ill
rights they possess under their =.
A3reements and under the decisions Nv
OF the board, including their SEN ST
iority. This is not the boards ac-
ton 1t is their own. Many car
riers are, giving their former en- r
pioyees the opportunity to re-enter u
the service within limited time.
III must be understood now that
men n who remained in the. service In
and those who are now entering Ii
will have rights of seniority that
the board could not ignore
What the Proposed Plan Means.
1t must be understood that any
oposal that employees now on strike gr
Ill be permitted to return to the is
vice without impairment to their co
liority, is merely another way of rec
sgesting that those men who took ar,
ployment in this crisis in good All
tn, relying on the promises of the gai
roads to protect them in their me
.tions, these promises being justi. tRs
by the authoritative utterances ul.i
the labor board, and thus have rat
lie possible the continued operation 500
the railroads shall Dou, ~ 49,: tlps