Vilas County news. [volume] (Eagle River, Vilas County, Wis.) 1896-1927, 1922-03-01
RAIL MEN ALLY
WITH THE MINERS
Vote an Alliance Which Does Not
Include a Walkout.
TO HANDLE N0NUNIoN COAL
Pledge Moral and Financial AID out
Will Not Call a Sympathetic
Strike-operators State
Their Position.

Chicago. Feb. 23.-Sixteen railway
brotherhoods refused To enter into
svmpathetic strike agreement with the
United Mine Workers of America, but
entered into a protective alliance
with the miners. pledging them their
sfull moral support" The action came
after President John l.. Lewis OF the
miners pleaded before officials Of the
brotherhOods In executive session.
II do not ask you to strike he said'
''but l believe the miners should have
your moral support"
The support rendered the miners, IL
is understood, does not call for a re-
fusal on the part of the railway men
to handle coal produced in nonunion
mines.
The delegates unanimously adopted
the resolution TO form the protective
alliance and appointed n committee OF
five to draw up the agreement No
specific recommendations were given
as to the scope the agreement should
take
The members of the conference are;
II. f. Wells. assistant grand chief OF
Locomotive Firemen and Engineers;
Martin +. Ryan, Brotherhood OF Loco
motive Firemen and Engineers; Secre-
tary Ross of the International Railway
Telegraphers; Phillip Murray. vice
president of the International Mine
Workers of America, and Vice Presi-
dent Dempsey of the LOngshOremen's
union.
Conference Was Last Peace Hope.
President Lewis said the mine strike
was inevitable as n result of the re-
fusal of the Pittsburgh Coal Producers
association refusing to join other OPP
orators In the central competitive field
I'm a conference with the mine union
officials The operators, he has main-
tanned. must be unanimous in attend
ance or the union officials would not
confer with them.
Illinois operators have voted in favor
of the conference. Indiana and east
Ohio operators We're comforting on the
question of attendance. Southern Ohio
operators refused 10 meet the miners
The Pittsburgh operators refusal
was contained in this telegram:
answering your message Of this
date we will not again enter into a
four states agreement. Therefore 1t
is not necessary to meet 10 fix a date
for such conference. When the men
of the Pittsburgh district are willing
TO meet with us to negotiate a scale of
wages which recognizes present cOndi-
tioBs and eliminates the checkOff, we
will meet with them"
Members of the association employ
about 5000 bituminOus miners i'm the
western Pennsylvania district.
The miners originally had sought an
alliance with the rail unions in an eff
fort to have them declare sympa-
thetic strike TO tie up all coal prOduc-
ton and delivery i'm case of n strike.
When the walkOut first was threatened
the operators retaliated by assuring
the public that its wants would he
served out of the nOnuniOn fields. 1t
was to keep the railroads from haul.
ing nonunion mined coal from the area
supplied by the central competitive
field that the miners sought the ALI
ance.
Lewis Shows His Worry.
When President Lewis went into
session with the rail union officials at
the Great Northern hotel, he was
plainly worried. He refused to be
quoted directly, but left no doubt that
the strike would occur unless the gov
eminent interviewed.
He told the rail union heads. who
represent 100000 workers, that he
had no definite plan to offer.
But" he declared. 81 believe the
time has come when there ought to be
colition movement between the rail
and mine union workers. II means
much for the success OF both.
Il do not ask" he continued, shat
the railroad unions strike i'm sympathy
with the miners. but believe that the
miners should have the moral support
of the railway men,"
He then recommended Joint moral
support against the lengthening of
working hours or reduction in wages.
"We are ready to fight" Mr.. Lewis
said. although am not yet absolute
ly convinced that the operators will
force ms to carry out our nlonS fo- n