Evening star., 1922-10-15

ernment turned back the railroads to private opera
ton, provided the labor situation should remain
unchanged during the six months guarantee period.
It was the conviction Of the Pennsylvania manage
ment that, sooner or later, the road and its en-
ployes would be brought into conflict because Of the
interference outsiders and that system must
be adopted which would bring the employees and the
management into closer relationship This led to
the conception Of the employe representation plan.
its announcement to the employees and finally its
adoption. The first step was taken with the en-
ployes of the engine and train service. A meeting
of all the local divisional cha!rmen representing
these employees with officers Of the road held in
Philadelphia December 81, 1920 Many similar meet
ings were held and eventually memorandum Of
understanding" embodying the plan OF employe rep
resentaton adopted and accepted by both the
employees and the management.
The men who drew up this memorandum will tell
you that it was a difficult task: that it ap-
preached by some of the employees and also by some
Of the officials OF the road with suspicion, both sides
fearing that their rights and prerogatives might be
interfered with to extent It
charted Nothing like it had been tried before
in railroading. 1t is true that various kinds Of
works management with employe representation
plans had been tried in OF the industrial
plants Of the country and had been found satisfac
tory. Such plan has been successful to a marked
degree in the Rock Island (IIL) arsenal, put into
operation by the government. But nothing like it
had been tried system that extends from Phila-
delphia to Chicago and from New York the south
Foresaw End of Strike.
Gen. W. W. Atterbury, vice presiden, in charge
Of operations. insisted that IL the employees and the
management were successful in bringing out
ploye plan projected satisfactory
in its machinery. it would mean the end Of strikes
far the Pennsylvania system concerned
that It would do away with the necessity Of
taking strike vote. This because the plan would
result in the setting Of proper machinery for the
prompt consideration Of all matters relating to
working conditions and grievances and tribunal
in which the employees have equal representation with
questions.
The company took tho initiative. 1t invited the
employees the first conference in regard to the
employe representation plan. This In itself
novelty. When there have been meetings OF the
management OF the Pennsylvania road with its en-
ployes in the past 1t has been at the request Of
the employees who desired the adjustment Of contro-
versial mattera The employe representation plan
set in motion fer the engine and train service
employees without hitch after the terms had been
agreed Not so, however, with regard to the
shopmen
The so-called national agreements" covering
working conditions In the shop crafts had been de-
veoped during the period of federal control. They
continued In effect when the roads handed back
to their owners. The Pennsylvania and other roads
protested against the continuance Of these agree
have the power to make agreements working
conditions with its employees, pointing out that
conditions varied greatly In different sections Of
country and different railroads
National Agreements Abrogated
Finally. July /, 1921. the Railroad Labor Board
handed down decision abrogating the national
agreements and directing the roads to hold confer
ences with their to formulate schedules Of