The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1922-10-11
RAILWAY UNIONS
may WORK ALONE
Back to System of Former Years
NO LONGER BIG FOUR
Plan Now Being Worked Out Under
stood to Be Favorably
Regarded

Oh settling wage and working agree
ments between the "Big Four" trans
portation brotherhoods and the rail
roads has entered new era and if
the present course Of negotiations is
continued the country for several
years at least will not be threatened
with complete tie up of railroad
transportation through concerted
strike 'of these brotherhoods on all
lines of the nation, w. G. Lee, presi-
dent Of the Brotherhood of Railroad
Trainmcn, said today.
The situation which developed in
1915 as result Of the eight hour
fight and again last fall, when train
men, conductors, engineers and fire.
mems brotherhoods sent out nation
wide strike orders probably will not
again occur.
Decentralization of all wages, rules
and working negotiations and return
to the system prevailing for, 20 years
prior to the time when the four train
service brotherhoods were forced by
the "eight hour fight" to pool their
strength into what has since become
famous as the *Big Four" railroad
brotherhoods has already set in, in
the view Of Mr.. Lee.
The new alignment of the transpor-
tation brotherhoods probably will find
ehBrotherhood of Railroad Train
men and the Order Of Railway Con-
ductors in one group and the Brother
hood of Locomotive Engineers, Broth
erhood Of Locomotive Fireme nand En-
ginemen and the Switchmen of North
America in another.
Il feel that am able to handle my
organization to better advantage, to
get more for my men and to work
more effectively all around if the train
men and conductors go it alone so far
as wages and working rules are con-
cerned," Mr.. Lee said.
This whole business, with all rail-
road labor unions on one side and all
railroads on the other, with the rail-
road labor board in between got too
big for any one man or few men
to handle. 1t was loaded with dyna-
mite for the country as we'll as for
ourselves and the executives. No
sane government would permit any
faction or class to paralyze the trans
portation Of the country and thereby
punish the innocent, who are always
in the majority. The only way out was
to separate"
So far as strikes, wages and work
ing rules negotiations are concerned,
the big Four" no longer exists. The
brotherhoods will continue to work
together on legislative, non-partisan,
political and purely organization mat
ters.
Mr.. Lee pointed out today that the
trainmen and conductors dealing in
dividually with railroads in the East
ern regional district and by regional
conferences for the Western and
Southeastern region, have just COM
pleted contracts with virtuall-- all
roads in the United States continuing
present wages and working rules for
period of year and continuously
thereafter except on 80 days. notice
from either party.
These agreements were obtained
without consulting or working with
the engineers or firemen's brother
hoods.
Asked few days ago if the switch
mems union joining the engineers and
firemen in negotiations with the New
York Centar lmcant an intention to
work with the switchmen hereafter,
Warren s. Stone, president of the
engineers, said:
mo, it means only that since the
trainmcn and conductors already have
settled, the switchmen, fremen and
ourselves are all that Is left"
With negotiations carried on with
individual roads or at most with
regional groups, the consequences Of
railroad strike will be much less
dangerous. A strike on one road would
probably not lead to government in
terference, it was pointed out.
Mrs. w. G. Davis entertained with
a bridge party last Friday. The fol-
lowing guests were present ::
Mesdames Lucius and Scott Harvin.
John Breedin, Mitch Wells, Seman
Richardson TT T. Ron,or u M