The Seattle star. [volume] (Seattle, Wash.) 1899-1947, 1922-07-29
Why Railway Unions
Started Big Strike
the thep crafts NO
! freight handlers.
SAY LINING COST
REMAINS tiP

the shep crafts workers and the
freight handlers.
SAY LINING COST
REMAINS ur
In the labor board majority de.
olslon these points were cited IN juntl.
ficatlon OF the reductlen.
l. The cost OF LIVING has come
down.
!. Railroad shop crafts workers are
allowed higher wages under the de.
cisson than they could receive In sim.
liar industries.
81 Wages generally are coming
down.
Dissenting. the majority members
OF the board offered this rebuttai;
/; Tho cost Of living has not come
down sufficiently 80 that the reduced
wages would maintain a decent
American standard OF living"
2: Prewsr wages were not adequate
for this standard. and therefore are
not satisfactory as a basis Tor com.
putting present wages.
.: The minimum basic wage" for
unskilled labor should be 80 cents an
hour. upon which the differential
would make the skilled shop workers
minimum not lower than 81 cents an
hour.
The minority members OF the board
offered extended evidence 20 show
that " tho reduction were put n
force IL would mean that 5a per cen,
OF all children In families receiving
this wage viii be inadeauately pro
vided for during % least five critical
year. OF their lives" They asserted
that permanent traces OF this NAL
nutrition will b. left on the physlqus
OF tho next generation"
DESIRE HUMAN
NEEDS STUDIED
II was natural. under the elrcum
stances. that when tho reduction Wal
ordered for July !. the workers IA
the shop craft. SHOULD choose 60 re
ject the majority report. In favor Of
the minority views OF the labol
board
Thls they ala. walking out OF
July 4.
Their spokesmsn made these dc
mards:
| /: Reconsideration Of both the re
dactisn In shop craft wages and o.
those for the maintenance Of wa,
men. who received the basic wage
on which the diffcrcntini was s;aEss.
:, A further and exhaustive stud,
OF tho needs Of human family ans
OF the principles OF differentiais du,
skilled workers.
The labor board stood pat.
II should be- explained that tn
transportation act. tho u gave IN
labor board authority 10 rix waee
Of railroad employees provided M
penalty for failure 10 Accept then
other than the condemnation O
public opinion.
TWO SIDES BATTLE
FOR PUBLIC OPINION
To date efforts TO end shs ssrik'
have conferred largely upon the nsoblI
irstion of public opinion. Govern
ment official. feel that the inbo
board must be sustained. whether II
decision IA just or not. for the SAX
IL preserving the only official ms
dunn Of arbitration between rsliroa'
labor snd operators
A this II written. the board ha
agreed 10 consider new evidsncr bear
ing on wages. cost Of living. and an
ferentiais from the shop crafts union
but only after the mon have Gon'
hack 20 work. AZ the reduced wages
while the new evidence u considered
! Labor leaders not only among IN
} shop crafts are inclined 20 aec~p
this proposition. and are holding ou
only until the railroads agree 10 ~
store to men who walked out o'
strike their seniority rights and priv
iarr.. a fine point which hostile oper
alters are exploiting for the sake O
sdiscrrdlting the unions