New-York tribune., 1922-10-11
Irainmen and Conductors
to 60 1t Alone on Wages
and Rules, Says W. G. Lee;
Unit Only on Legislation
Against Big Walk.Outs
Declares Paralyzing of
the Country's Traffic
Must Not Be Permitted

| CLEVELAND. Oct. 1o.-Methods Of
set1iing wage and working agreements
between the "Big Four" transportation n
Dfotherhoods and the railroads has
entered new era, and If the present
course Of negotiations is continued the
country Tor several years at least will
not be threatened with a complete
tIe-up of railroad transportation
through concerted strike of these
brotherhoods on all lines Of the nation.
W. G. Lee, president Of the Brother
mood Of Railroad Trainmen, said To.
day -u W
The situation which developed in
lSI6 90 result Of the eight-hour flght.
! and again last fall, when the trainmen'
| conductors; engineers and fremen's
| Erotherhoods sent out nationwide or
1uers, probably will not again occur.
decentralization of all wages, rules
| and working negotiations and a return
! to the system prevailing for twenty
years prior to the time when the four
train service brotherhoods were forced
by the "eight-hour fight" to pool their
| strength already has set in, in the view
Of Mr.. Lee.
The new alignment of the transporta-
ton brotherhoods probably will find
4 the brotherhood of Railroad Trainmen
and the Order of Railway Conductors in
one group and the Brotherhood of Loco
motive Engineers, Brotherhood of Loco
motive Firemen and Enginemen and the
Swltchmen's Union of North America
in another.
Split Is Advantage
II feel that am able to handle NV
- hn&H IL.
get more for my men and to work more
effectively all around if the trainmen
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
pig for one man or a few men to
handle. 1t was loaded with dynamite
Tor the country as we'll as for ourselves
and the executives. No sane governs.
ment would permit any faction or class
20 paralyze the transportation bust
ness OF the country and thereby punish
the innocent, no ere ala,ays iSS thSs,
separate"
So far as strikes, wages and working
rules negotiations are concerned. the
big. four" no longer exists The
brotherhoods will continue to work to-
gether on legislative, nom partisan
political and purely organization mat
ters.
Contracts Just Made
Mr.. Lee pointed out to-day that the
trainmen and conductors dealing indi-
vldually with railroads in the Eastern
regional district, and by regional con-
ferences for the Western and South
eastern regions; have Just completed
contracts with virtually all railroads
in the United States, continuing pres
ent. wages and working rules for a
period Of a year and continuously
thereafter except on thirty days notice
from either party. These agreements
were obtained without consulting or
working with the engineers or fremen's
brotherhoods.
With negotiations carried on with
Individual roads, or at most with
regional groups, the consequence of q
railroad strike will be much less
dangerous, A strike on one road would
probably not lead to governmental in
reference, it was pointed out.
Strike Too Costly
"a nationwide railroad strike is not
possible to-day" Mr.. Lee said. "It costs
the railroads and the unions which in
dulge in it more than they can afford
to lose. The shipments strike proved
that. When a strike gets so big thae
it can't be controlled, then the govern
ment will step in and control it. This
results generally in legislation detri-
mental to all concerned. The present
situation is the first ray Of light have
seen FOR ten years.
"Trainmen and conductors are going
4~ -. L g.
the different regional groups, for
vided," Mr.. Lee continued. "They will |
handle their wage matters alone in the
future, at least as long as l am presi
dent. ] sincerely hope that all such |
matters will be settled in conference
and without the need Of using the
strike power"
Decentralization Of railroad labor
organizations and return to the "nor
malcy," which obtained before the
eight-hour fight and the period Of gov
eminent control are in part the follow !,
ing Of drift which began early this
year, but are also direct result OF the
shopmen's strike. That strike cleared
the air, taught both unions and rail-
road managers that strikes and gov
ernment interference in strikes were
costly, Mr.. Lee explained, and brought
to both sides the question: "We got
along for good many years, always
finding some way out Of our difficult
ties; why can't we do it again 7"
The first sign of breakup in the
.Big Four. came as the result Of
divergence in policy last October when
strike orders were sent to all four
orotherhoods and the switchmen's
inion, and later rescinded.
! During the shopuen's strike break
between the two groups of brother