Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1922-08-15
ROADS STAND BY
LOYAL EMPLOYEES
Tell President Harding Old and
New Men Must Be Protected
in Strike Settlement.
NOT A MATTER OF CHOICE
Faithful Employees Have Both Legal
And Moral Rights To Seniority
And Other Benefits.


senting more than $50 Class l Rail
roads Of toe United States to the prop
osition Of President Harding, that all
strikers be returned 70 their work and
their former positions with seniority
and other rights unimpaired." lies in
the last paragraph from their reply
to the President as follows:
ut Is submitted that the striking
former employees cannot be given
preference 10 employees IT present in
the service without doing violence to
every principle III right AID justice
involved In this matter, and without
the groSSest breach Of faith On the
part ~ the railroads 10 the men at
present in their service.
"Under these circumstances. II be
comes apparent that the railroads can
not consider any settlement Of The
present strike which does not provide
protection in their present employment
both 10 the loyal employees who re-
manned in the service Gnd 10 the new
employees entering it..
The executives had accepted the
first two conditions proposed by the
President, namely, that beth employ
ers and employees accept the decisions
Of the Labor Board, and that all law
suits growing out Of the strike be
withdrawn; ane in relation to the
third condition spoke not only az
quoted above. but also as follows:
Agree With The President
"The railroad executives and man.
ayers agree entirely with the Presi.
dents statement in his letter that 1t is
wholly unthinkable that the Railroad
Labor Board can be made a useful
agency Of the Government in maintain.
ing industrial peace in the railway
service unless employers and workers
are both prompt and unquestonlng in
their acceptance Of it's decisions
Many men in the service refused to
join the strike and in so doing were
assured OF the seniority rights aceru-
ing TO them and OF the permanence
OF their positions. On some important
lines 50 per cent or more refused 10
join the strike. To these old loyal en-
ployees have been added thousands |
Of new men who were employed and
could be secured only upon definite !
promise that their services would be !
retained regardless II the settlement |
OF the strike. with all the rights Up |
pertaining to such employment, includ' |
ing that OF seniority under the working |
rules and regulations previously ap. !
proved by the Railroad LJbor Board
aust The Opposite Effect"
1--WE especially point out that re.
fusal TO the old men who remained In |
the service and TO the new men who |
accepted service OF the rights Of senior |
ity incident to their employment would |
have just the opposite effect to that de. |
sired by the President. and would most |
seriously diScredit the Labor Beard.
1.-The board itself prescribed the !
rules of seniority under which the men |
referred 20 hayA secured their senior !
ity rights. and the railroad companies !
have neither the legal nor moral right |
TO deprive these men Of those rights. |
BY public utterances since the strike |
began the board has recognized and !
emphasized these rights. and TO deny |
them now would, instead Of upholding |
the authority OF the Labor Board, over
throw its rules and discredit its au.
thority.
THE Chairman OF tho Labor Board |
at the time the strike was called made
the following public statement:
Upon one question the striking en-
ployeeS should not be deceived. 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 aud under the
decisions " the board, icludiug their
seniority This IS not tho boards ac-
ton. Il Is their own.
''Many carriers are giving their for
mer employees the opportunity to re
euter the service within limited time
II mus: be understood now that men
who remained in the service ana ttDsc
who are now entering It VIII have
rights W seniority that the board could
not ignore"
What The Proposed Plan Means
1T must be understood that any pro. !
posal that employees now on strike !
shall be permitted to return TO the |
service, without impairment to their |
seniority, is merely another way of |
suggesting that those men who tool, !
employment in this crisis in good faith. J
relying on the promises OF the rail |
roads to protect them in their posi- |
tons. these promises being justified by |
the authoritative utterauces Of the |
Labor Board, and thus have made pos. /
sible the continued operation Of the |
railroads shall now be sacrificed in /
favor OF men now on strike, who not |
only brought about the crisis. but. b. |
their own action and declaration, are
no longer employees OF the railways. !
under the jurisdiction Of the United |
States Railroad Labor Eoard, or sub !
iect to the application Of the Trans
pOrtation act
In addition to the necessity Of up |
holding the Labor Board. and mat /
tanning the pledges made by the r-n. !
roads 10 the men now at woSh, there |
IS the practical effect on the super.
yisory officers Of violation Of the
pledges they were authorized to make |