The West Virginian. [volume] (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1914-1974, 1922-06-29
WORKERS BEGIN
STRIKE WITHOUT
AWAITING ORDER.
Men in West Chicago Quit liz
Droves, Leaving Cross
ings Unguarded. j
PROTEST ON DECISION.
Big Four and switchmen and
TeIegraphers Not In
cluded in Order. m

CHICAGO, June 29.-tBy the
Associated Press). Strike orders
signed by the six craft presid dentsS
of the railroad shopmen's organi-E
cation were sent out today to
general chairmen representing
100000 men, authorizing strike
at 10 a. M, July i "on#alI rail
roads and Pullman shops In the
United States'' ss ss.1sE $555
Railroad maintenance ~ Of way
men were reported to have quit
in West Chicago, without await
ing receipt of strike orders.sIt
was said the men % deserted Sin
droves leaving many crossings un-
guarded. Mayor Edward j .ss Nc
Cable of West Chicago has sworn
in a number of special police to-
guard railroad property.
Workers in the Pullman sflopss
were included in the orders. The
Impending walkout makes Satur.--39
day momentous day in the rail-
road world. On that date. the
100000 cut in freight rates
ordered by the Interstate ON "
merce Commission becomes effec2
tive, simultaneously with a slash
from the wages of railway&work-
ers ordered by the United States
Railroad Labor Board. The apay
900. i':,%. ssg'5sss
Railroad officials anticipated
news of further strike orders 9fos
maintenance of way employesSon
completion Of the canvass OF their
strike vote n i3SYsss;;i 3Sss;s
Rail Officials Optimistic e
In spite of the impending walk
out, rail officials said that trans
portation would continues to move
because train service employees
VINO consist of the "big FOUR bro-s
therhoods, switchmen and teIe-
Eraphers are not participants in
the controversies over rules End
working conditions. s
Ihe shopmen's strike is In ;oro-s
test against the wage reductions.
the adjustment of rules blythe
labor board and the farming ont
OF shop work to contractors.
Ma1nt tenance of way men bailoteda
solely on the wage reduction. 81
1t was a coincidence thatss the
Association of Railroad ExeciJ-%
tives called a meeting here Tod av5E
according to rail officials. The
meeting, it was said, was called
two weeks in advance OF the ultt-
matum by B. NJ. Jewell, head Of
the shop unions, for a aconference#
principally on contractsswith the
American Railway Express CO.
The strike situat on, however,
made the meeting all the more
important. Rejection of JewelFs
ult1matum that the roads Ignore
the labor boards wage cut q ecis5i
s1ons and restore abolished rules
governing working ccndi itions was
certain, it was saids rail officials
declaring that Jewell s. ccnd ditionss
for averttng a strike werest timpossi
sib1e." - M -;
On the other hand a conference
between rail executive and union
officials was not So muchSin any
hope Of reaching an agreement,
but as vehicle for carrying the
disputes Immediately to the labor
board, which saved the nation
from a rail strike last October.
Another possibility was that the
labor board would similarly as
sumo Jurisdiction over situations
growing out of an actual strfkes
the grounds that the strike$would
interrupt commerce.
The strike order said to have
been issued under Preside
Kline's signature forT drop forg
ers and blacksmiths and helpers
follows:
I'm ,compliance.w with the strike
vote, shop crafts employees below
the ranks of general SforemenS are
hereby granted sanction. to ssus-
pend work at I o. a. M July on
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