Evening star., 1922-05-31
RAIL STRIKE VOTE !
WILL Be RUSHED
Brotherhoods to Send Ballots
to Members and Non
Union Men.
By tha Associa ted press.

BY the Associated Press
DETROIT, May 31.-OMcials Of the
United Brotherhood Of Maintenance
Of Way employees and railway shop
laborers today began preparation OF
strike ballots to be sent within the
next few days to the 47s.000 mem
bers of the organisation throughout
the country and to the approximately
$4,000 non-union men OF the CRAFTS
who would be affected by strike.
The brotherhood members, with the
non union men, will be asked to vote
on the question Of accepting the wage
cuts Of from l to s cents an hour re-
Gently ordered by the United States
Railway Labor Board in Chicago. II
q majority of the brotherhood votes
in favor Of a rejection of the. de-
creases, e. F. Cradle, grand president
OF the brotherhood. with headquar-
ters here. is empowered to issue
strike order Immediately, setting the
date for the walk-out.
A resolution calling for the strike
vote and ordering MI. Cradle to take
the strike step in the event 1t Is
sanctioned by the membership was
passed late yesterday at meeting
of the brotherhood's executive coun-
ell. composed of all officers of the
union.
Printing Presses Busy.
A strike ballot will be mailed to
each person affected by the reduc-
tions, 1t being desired to give nom
union men working beside those hold
ing union cards to express their
choice between continuing work at
the reduced figure or suspending their
HI NnfN' q
printing plant here were set In motion
early in the day turning out the bal
lots, 1t being necessary to print more
than $4,000 Of the slips.
1t Is expected by union officials that
the last Of the number will have been
mailed by the end Of the present week
or the first of next. All the replies
are looked for by the end of June.
If strike is desired by the member
ship such a call probably will go out
during the first week In July. Mr..
Cradle said. The wage reductions
effective July 1.
The resolution calling for a strike
vote was adopted unanimously. It
was confined to the mere request for
| such vote and the empowering of
the President to call such a strike II
1t was ordered by the membership.
The executive council, in a previ-
Gus statement to newspaper men. had
denounced the wage cuts ordered by
the board as unfair and unwarranted
at this time, holding they represented
a pay slash of 1872 per cent for the
average maintenance of way worker.
They asserted further that the cost Of
living had not declined more than 8
per cent In most instances throughout
the country.
If strike should result all me-
chanics and maintenance OF way en-
ployes on the leading railroads Of the
country would be affected. The only
exception. according to Mr.. Cradle,
would be employees Of short line rail-
roads that do not come under the
rulings of the labor board. Those
crafts comprising the brotherhood's
membership include mechanics. sec
ton men and foremen, trackmen and
their foremen, bridge builders,
painters, coal chute men, cinder pit
men. all common labors in shops and
all carpenters.
Mr.. Cradle expressed the belief
that other railroad brotherhoods also
would conduct strike referendums
soon and declared If the others voted
to strike the maintenance of way
men would join them. in the event
the members of his organization
favored such action. The brother
hoods financial conditions is the best
1t ever has been and sufficient funds
are available to conduct a strike, the
president said.
GRAND TRTTNK RARS nNToN