Evening star., 1922-01-22
AGREE
TO UNIONS OFFER
railroad Wages and Rules
! to Be Negotiated on Ter:
rit0riaI Basis.
BY the Associated Press.


CHICAGO. January 21.-Members Of
the Association of Railway Executives
today accepted the proposal by tn"
four brotherhoods Of train serVic"
employes that their wages and work
ing conditions be negotiated on tel
ritorial basis.
Resolutions accepting the propose
favored the appointment of regional
committees to meet with the fou'
train and engine service brotherhood
in "a fair effort to compass and I'd
lust all points now at issue, no r.
strictions to be imposed upon the con
sideration of any and all questions
wages and rules governing workin"
conditions"
Labor Board Last Resort.
If mutual understanding is n.;
reached at regional conferences. III"
matter is to be referred to the raii-
road labor board as has been done In
the past.
The resolutions provided that terri
tories in addition 10 the eastern.
southeastern and western may Be
established. if roads in such terri
tories 50 desire. or the railroads may
Geal directly with their employees.
This action does not involve any
abandonment by the railways OF
their previously pledged poilcy 10
seek q reduction in the labor cost of
railway operation. the beneht OF
" flich is 10 he turned over to the
public in reduced rates, Thomas De-
Witt Cuyler. chairman of the asso-
citation. said tonight. 1t simply rep
ton and discussion with the leaders
of these four organizations to ar
rive at fair and amicahie settle
ment of the present questions anect-
ing these employees.
a statement TO the same erect was
made by Robert S. Binkerd, assistant
F, to Mr. Cuyler-
Regional negotiations do not al
ter the policy of the roads to seek
! further rate reductions" Mr.. Binkerd
said. This is simply an attempt To
! arrive at the same point in manner
more equitable to all concerned.
| Regional negotiations will make II
! possible. Mr.. Binkerd said, for the
railroads to consider both wages and
/ working rules at once when dealing
with the train service men. This
\ NAV mean. he said, that IL the en-
ployes agree to the abrogation of
certain rules the railways do not con-
slider fair. the railways in return may
agree to continue certain wages This
f, in effect reduces rules TO considera-
! ton on a wage basis. he said. and
stated that if the same savings to
the railways can be effected through
changes in rules as through wage
| cuts, the railways would probably be
satisfied.
Small railroads may not be able to
make the same agreements as trunk
! lines, he said. and stated this was
the reason railroads were given the
right to deal individually with their
employees.
No action was taken today to name
the committees to deal with the
brotherhoods, this matter being left
| in the hands of the various territor-
| ial organizations.
Reduced Rates Sought.
Some railroads have already placed
petitions for reduced rates before the
railroad labor board, following
failure to reach an agreement with
ready to submit petitions, railroad
officials said today. These petitions
can be withdrawn, 1t was stated, il
regional conferences result in salts
| factory results. or the railroads can
rates by submitting the question to
| employees SO they will be In q position
| to carry their requests to the labor
board in case the conferences are un-
, successful.
The four transportation brother
hoods involved are the Brotherhood
I of Locomotive Engineers, Brother
hood of Locomotive Firemen and En-
ginemen, Order of Railway Conduc-
tors and the Brotherhood OF Railroad
Trainmen. and constitute approx
mately one-fQurth of the railway en-
ployes of the country.
Today's action followed meetings
held in Washington recently of rail-
way executives and representatives
OF train service organizations with
Secretary Of Commerce Hoover.