New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1922-07-23
Lehigh, Lackawanna and
Delaware & Hudson Em-
ployees Organize and
Will Stick to Jobs
Companies Deny
Initiating Move
Brotherhood Leaders De-
clare Fight Has Become
One to Save Organization

Yesterdays announcement that on
the Lehigh Valley, the Lackawanna
and the Delaware & Hudson company
shop craft unions are being formed
with a membership composed Of old
employees who refused to go out on
July l and new men taken on since
that time had an electrifying effect on
the strike situation here. Though the
three carriers were quick to disclaim
having started the movement, they ad-
mitted that they looked upon it with
favor.
Company statements on the subject
were brief and guarded. Executives of
the three carriers were too busy ex-
planning that the initiative had come
from the men and the suggestion from
the Labor Board to make any other
comment. Only from John G. Walber,
spokesman for all the roads in this
section, could anything resembling dis
cussion of the new move be obtained.
"The railroads see that if the COM
pany union movement spreads the dan
ger of national strikes will be practi-
cally removed" he said, "and they be-
leve that this will be to the interest
Of the public. Their establishment
probably will break the hold of the
American Federation of Labor on the
shopmen and make it possible for all
the roads to make such agreements
with their men as that just drawn up
between the Pennsylvania and it's COM
pany unions-agreements to which
most carriers, would gladly subscribe"
Unions Welcome the Issue
Mr.. Walber, repeating the contention
that the new organizations are origi-
railroads are trying to split the ranks
of the shopmen in order to crush their
organizations on each line separately,
but almost the first reaction to yester-
days announcement at strike head
quarters here was the charge that this
was indeed the primary purpose Of the
move. The dominant feeling there
seemed to be Joy that the enemy had
come out into the open, and the union
chiefs declared confidently that now
that the lines are drawn sharply they
will be able to hold their men, no
matter what steps the carriers may
take.
"Every railroad that announces the
establishment of company union an
nounces at the same time that it is at
to establishing the open shop" said
the official statement from strike head
quarters yesterday afternoon. Enough
carriers have made such an announce
ment already to prove that the rail
roads have determined to stamp out
active unionism among their employees.
This latest development will do more
than anything else to arouse all rail-
road workers to the necessity of stand
ing by the shopmen., 1t will rally the
support of organized labor in every
other industry, because it aims at the
heart of American trade unionism."
Expanding this statement informal
ly, individual strike leaders expressed
their views of the company unions on
the Pennsylvania, the only organiza-
tions of the kind on the roads in this
section, to explain their opposition to
the sundering of the shcpmen through
out the country. These bodies, they
order that the road may 60 through
the forms of collective bargaining
without meeting any opposition, with
the real object of introducing piece
work, the bogey of organized labor.
Fight for Life of Unions
= The union heads declared that the
situation already caused by the strike
makes it remarkable that the carriers
should admit that they hope to break
the federated shopcrafts, as well as
to win out on the propositions over
which the strike started. They called
attention to the reports emanating
from sources close to the Pennsylvania
that that road considers the transpor-
tation difficulties caused by the strike
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