The Oakes times. [volume] (Oakes, N.D.) 1906-current, 1922-06-29
RAIL WORKERS
VOTE TO STRIKE

Walkout July 1 Unless Railroads
Agree to Stay $60,000y00o
Wage Cut
400, 900 SHOPMEN ARE, EFFECTED
Railway Executives Receive Ultima
tum from Unions
A strike Of the 100000 railway
shopmen Of the country will be called
for July 1 unless the railroads agree
to stay the 100000, 900 wage cut due
the shop workers on Monday, to re-
store certain working conditions for
merly in effect, it was made known
Tuesday night through a telegram
from B. M. Jewell, head of the shop
crafts, to the association of railway
executives.
The decision to call strike came
late Tuesday after a long discussion
by the executive committee Of the six
shopcrafts unions, based on the strike
vote Of the men thus far tabulated.
The committee left but one loop
hole to avoid the strike.
If the rail heads arrange an i'm
mediate conference, agreeing mean
while to continue present wages,
restore working rules modified by the
railroad labor board and discontinue
farming out railroad work, walkout
can be halted.
Otherwise "a sanction Of withdraw
al from employment on July /, 1922,
as voted by the employees, will be
unavoidable"
The $500 word telegram, addressed
to T. De Witt Cuyler, chairman Of
the association Of railway executives,
threw no light on the actual strike
vote beyond saying it was an over
whelming majority.
Ballots were still coming in, it was
said, az they were not returnable un-
til June 80. A two-thirds majority is
required by the union bylaws to call
q strike.
Although the actual call for the
walkout was made dependent on the
railway executives reply to President
JEWELS ultimatum, little expectation
was exposed in railroad circles
that the executives would agrseI
to such sweeping demands az those
made by the unions. Labor leaders
promptly said that q strike seemed to
be inevitable. s2- ~
Six international union presidents,
forming the executive council Of the
mechanical section, railway employees
department Of the American Fedora
tion Of Labor were responsible for
the strike decision. Closeted for two
days in secret session, they remained
silent on their actions until Tuesday.
The union heads who will issue the
strike call if the proposed conference
cannot be consummated are:
William H. Johnstone, international
Association Of Machinists.
J..W. Kline, international Brother
hood of Blacksmiths, Drop Forgers
and Helpers of America.
j. A. Franklin, international Broth
erhood Of Boilermakers, Iron Ship
builders and Helpers Of America.
j. j. Hynes, Amalgamated Sheet
Metal Workers international ALI
ance.
James P. Noonan, international
Brotherhood Of Electrical Workers.
Martin F. Ryan, Brotherhood Of
Railway Carmen Of America.
Declaring that the railroads have
acted on a common program to reduce
wages and obtain other advantages
to the carriers, President JEWELS
message pointed out zone benefit
which may come to the carriers and
their employees and to the general
public, from the fact that there are
national spokesmen Of the conflicting
interests who might be able to halt a
nation wide withdrawal Of men from
employment in the railway service,
if the railway executives sincerely
desire to avoid this consequence Of
their previous course Of action"
"For this reason" the telegram
said, "in behalf Of and by the author
ity Of the executive council Of the
railway employees department, am
informing you and through you in
forming the responsible heads Of the
various railway systems in the United
States, and also the Pullman COM
pany, most Of which are represented
in the association of railway execu-
tives, that unless an immediate ar
rangement can be made:
"(1)-To continue the payment Of
the wages at present in force.
"(2)-To restore operation under
rules 6, 10, 12, IA, Is, as and 1T as
they existed prior to the amendments
thereof proposed in decision 222, and
"(3)-To discontinue the contract
ing out Of work and shops, pending
negotiations between the association
Of railway executives and the railway
employees department looking toward
adjustment Of the existing disputes
upon the questions, sanction Of
withdrawal from employment on July
i, 1922, as voted BY the employees, viii
be unavoidable. The three points on
which the executives are asked to
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