Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1922-08-02
CARRIERS WON'T
BOW TO HARDING
SENIORITY PLAN
Continued From cage One.)

prive these men of these rights. !
By public utterances since the
strike began the board has recog-
nized and emphasized these rights,
and to deny them now would. in
stead of unfolding the authority of
the labor board, overthrow its
rules and discredit it's authority.
Chairman's Statement
1.-THE chairman of the labor
board at the time the strike was
called made the following public
statement:
Upon one question, the strik-
ling employees should not be deceiv-
ed, Their leader has said that the
strikers are no longer employees
of the railways and they have thus
automatically abandoned all the
rights they possess under their
agreements and under the deci-
sions of the board, including their
seniority. This is not the boards
action. 1t is their own.
".Many carriers are giving their
! former employees the opportunity
to re-enter the service within
limited time. 1t must be under
stood now that men who remained
in the service and those who are
now entering it, will have rights
Of seniority that the board could
not ignore
Justified by Formal Action.
1.-THE chairman of the boards
statement that this is an individ-
ual utterance but it expresses. In
substance, the sentiments of
large majority of the members of
the railroad labor board was JUS
titled by formal action of the board
taken in it's resolution of July 8,
1922, which stated, among other
things, as follows:
I "'Be it further resolved. That
the employees remaining in the SER
vice and the new ones entering
same be accorded the application
and benefits Of the outstanding
wage and rule decisions of the
railroad labor board until they are
amended or modified by agree
ments with said employees, arrived
at in conformity with the transport
tation act, or by decision of the
Board and,
"'Be it further resolved, That If
1t be assumed that the employees
who leave the servive of the carri-
ers because of their dissatisfaction
with any decisions of the labor
board are within their rights in
so doing, It must likewise be con-
,, coded that the men who remain in
the service and those who enter
, it anew are within'their rights in
!, accepting such employment, that
they are not strike breakers seek
ing to import the arbitrary will of
, an employer or employees that they
, have the moral as well as the legal
rights to engage in such service of
the American public to avoid in
terruption of indispensable rail-
way transportation and that they
, are entitled to the protection of
every department and branch Of
: the government state and ma
q tional'-
\ 1T must be understood that any
? proposal that employees now on
: strike shall be permitted to return
to the service without impairment
a of their seniority is merely another
S way of suggesting that these men
= who took employment in this crisi'
in good faith relying on the prom
e ises of the railroads to protec'
: them in their positions, these prom.
ises being justified by the author
r. itative utterances of the labor
: board, and thus have made posi-
|. BILE the continued operation Of the
CHI he co
in favor of men now on strike wht
not only brought about the crisis
but by their own action and de
+, claration are no longer employe!
| of the railways under the jurisdic'
ton of the United States railroad
d labor board or subject to the ap
h plication of the transportation act
l. New Men Discouraged.
t "In addition to the necessity o
70 unfolding the labor board ant
% maintaining the pledges made b,
2. the railroads to the men now a
work, there is the practical effec
n upon the supervisory officers of ;
n violation of the pledges they wer
ID authorized to make. Their dis
IS couragement and demoralizatio1
k. would be far more disastrous thai
ID this or any other strike. Mucl
At harm has already been done b
ID repeated publication Of rumors Il
N recent days, that the loyal me-
N and the new men are to be sacri
ID feed to the strikers. This has dis
couraged new men from accept
as ing employment in as great mum
lie bers as would come forward
e. certain that the pledges give
he would be fulfilled. Such publish
e. ed rumors only delay the complet
&c collapse of the strike.
er an view of the above. 1t Is sub
1g mitted that, the striking forme
rs employees cannot be given prefer
ence to employees at present in tn
service, without doing violence t
every principle of right and justic
IN involved in this matter and with
of out the grossest breach of faith o
ff, the part of the railroads to tn
by men at present in their service
RS Under these circumstances it be
~ comes apparent that the railroad
cannot consider any settlement
the present strike which does nj
y provide protection in their pre-
n hn