The Union daily times. [volume] (Union, S.C.) 1918-current, 1922-07-20
CHAIRMAN HOOPER ANNOUNCES FAILURE y.
OF EFFORTS TO SETTLE RAILROAD STRIKE

ment Of the countrywide strike of the
railway shopmen was announced in a
statement tonight by Ben w. Hooper,
chairman of the United States labor
board.
GAS there does not seem to be any
probability of reconciling the antip-
odal Views of the carriers and the
men, the labor board and none Of it's
members are now engaged in further
efforts along that hne," the statement
said.
At the same time the statement
pointed out that virtual agreement
had been reached between the rail
heads and the strike leaders on all of
the five points in dispute except that
Of the return to the strikers of their
seniority rights-a question which
was not originally in dispute between
the roads and their men.
Railroad lexecutive5, through the
Western presidents committee on
public relation of the Association of
Railway Executives issued a state
ment tonight corroborating Chairman
Hooper's statement that no further
peace conferences were being held
and that the seniority issue was the
principal stumbling block.
"There are now no conferences in
progress looking to settlement of
the. shop crafts strike" the execu-
tives' statement said. chairman
Hooper of the labor board has held
informal conferences with some rail-
way executives, but these have had
:. no results and are now at an end.
aSince the strike was called the So
called question of seniority rights
has arisen and has now become one
Of Importance"
Chairman Hooper's statement said
conference was held last Saturday
between B. M. Jewell, head of the
shopmen, A. o. Wharton, labor MEM
ber of the board, and Mr.. Hooper,
and heads of the seven striking or
ganizations, when Mr.. Jewell indicat-
ed he would be willing to submit to
his committee an agreed program if
the carriers concurred in it.
The program, Mr.. Hooper's state
. ment sale, was. as follows:
First, that the carriers which had
arbitrarily changed the wages and
working conditions of the employees
represented by said seven organiza-
tions, by means of the contract sys-
tenn, in violation of the railroad labor
boards decision, should withdraw
from this practice. This applied to
only few roads, as the others had
d. heretofore announced their willing
ness to cancel such contracts.
Second, that the authority grant
ed by the transportation act to the
carriers and their employees to set up
an adjustment board or boards be ex-
excised by establishment of a nation,
al adjustment board, for the hearing
of all disputes except those affecting
wages.
"Third, that the employees involved
in the strike proceed in conformity
with the transportation act in the
settlement of the disputed rules and
wages, seeking from he railroad labor
board a rehearing of the recent wage
decision and promptly submitting the
seven disputed rules to the adjust
ment board with the statutory right
of appeal to the labor board.
Fourth, the carriers to withdraw
or dismiss all lawsuits growing out
of the strike.
Fifth, all men now on strike,
those laid off, furloughed or on leave
of absence to be returned to work and
their former positions, with seniority
and other rights unimpaired.
GAS a method for securing a con-
ference fully representing the car
riers and the employees concerned,
it was contemplated that the railroad
labor board should call hearing for
that purpose"
Mr.. Hooper said he had submitted
the proposition to several railway ex-
ecutives with the agreement that if
n tentative agreement could be reach
ed it would be submitted to other ex-
ecutives.
Mr.. Hooper said he understood the
program had been laid before large
number Of executives.
"My investigation of the attitude
of the carriers has convinced me-"
his statement said, "that no serious
obstacle is to be found in any of the
items above enumerated, except the
fifth"
Only 16 out of POI class one rail
roads had entered into the contracting
cut Of shop work and most of them
have now discontinued it, his state
ment continued. The carriers raised
no objections to reopening the wage
decision and the dispute regarding
seven protested rules, he said, and
declared that "the foregoing dispo-
sition of contracts, wages and rules
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