Martinsburg journal. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1920-1977, 1922-08-29
coayrloht. 1922. sv |. N. S.

engaged today in evolving plans to
meet the industrial emergency,
fresh troubles arose to threaten
complications in the critical situa'
ton
International News Service was
informed that chiefs of the "Blg
Four" brotherhoods will meet sec
reilly in Cleveland within the next
forty eight hours to determine tho
advisability Of serving a thirty day
notice on the railroads of their in
tention Of terminating present work
ing agreements.
The existing working agreements
| between the brotherhoods and the
railroads are mostly OF the eontin'
uitv tyne. running from year to
wear. or until one side gives thirty
! days notice OF intention - termin-
| ate
should the Cleveland conference
decide to give notice, 1t would be
served as of August 81, according
to brotherhood leaders in Washing
ton and would be tantamount TO
serving notice that new contracts
would not be negotiated september
30. unless there was adjustment OF
! grievances before that date,
Serving notice on the railroads
would leave the powerful brother
hoods. who hold the balance Of
power in the present strike Of rail-
way shopmen, free to act in any
wav they saw fit at the end of thir-
!. ta
tinn was described by the brother
hood leaders in Washington today
as merely a precautionary mea-
sure against possible develop
ments"
Four Main Points
The brotherhoods want assnrsn-
ees from the railroads on four main
points before entering new work
| ing agreements, according to bro
therhood spokesmen in Washing
ION. These are:
mo reduction In wages.
2-Arned guards employed IN
| the shipments strike to be con-
/ fined to the shops themselves.
3-Comprom modification
or new Interpretation Of senior
| ity riuhts regardless Of the out
/ come of the shipments strike.
4-hssurances that only safe
equipment will be used. and
Impaired rolling stock will be
retired upon orders from In
speotors.
The railroad executives were &C
nuainted with the demands of the
brotherhood and majority OF
them signified their Willingness to
meet the conditions, it was learned
today from official labor sources.
The brotherhood leaders, how
ever, are not certain that the exc
, cutives can meet the conditions
outlined, especially as regards SEN
iority rights. II the railway shop
! men lose the strike, IT. was pointed
out, and the dangerous precedent
Of losing seniority is established,
what assurances can the railroads
give the brotherhoods that the sen
iority precedent will not be used
against them especially II such
precedent is made by the railroad
labor board.
It is understood the unions are
torn between conflicting emotions,
% to avoid direct participation in
the shopmen' strike, and 90 fear
that if the shopmen are defeated
and the precedent of losing senior
ity is once established, it may
work against them "the next time
Confronted by this situation the
meeting in Cleveland has been call
ed as a preliminary war council to
decide what steps shall be taken.
1t was predicted in labor quarters
here today that the conference
will leave itself free to act by serv-
ing termination notice on the
roads.
brotherhood spokesman in Wash
ington today deprecated talk of a
Strike" on the part Of the broth
erho0ds, in view Of decisions rea-
| ched at the Cleveland conference,
does not imply strike, but rather
that the brotherhoods desire to ne
gotiate a new contract on broader
lines Failure Of the railroads to
agree to new terms might then lead
to strike action but that is a con
tingency upon which the brother
hood Spokesman did not care to
/ comment.
THE powerful financial interests
centered in Wall street, are doing
their damedest to ruin the country
said II f. Wills, vice president OF
the brotherhood of Locomotive En-
gineers. Eventually the people are
going to wake up to that fact.
Managers Mere Tools
BY their own admission, many
of the managers of the roads with
whom We have been dealing in the
role Of mediators for the shopmen,
are but tools of big financial inter-
ests They would not hold their
jobs fifteen minutes if they failed
to carry cut orders.
eve are not combating the man
ayers so much as We are the infiu-
ences behind them that dictate
this war on unlonism.'
William II Johnston, President
Of the International Association OF
| Machinists, the largest single shop
craft engaged in the strike de