The silver state. [volume] (Winnemucca, Nev.) 1909-1925, 1922-08-01

Winnemucca New, July 81, 1922.
Editor, The Silver State:
Because some adverse comment
was heard when the maintenance of
way men did not go out on strike
at the time the shopcraft men
walked out, l believe if you will
print the attached letter the situa-
ton will be cleared up in the minds
of your readers. For this and pre-
vious similar matter that you have
printed, please accept my thanks.
SECTION FOREMAN.
The letter follows:
Mr.. E. F. Cradle, Grand Presi-
dent, United Brotherhood of Main
tenance of Way Employees and Rail-
way Shopmen Laborers, 81 Put
nam Avenue, Detroit, Michigan.
Dear Sir and Brother:
This office is in receipt of a con-
siderable number of letters and
kilograms from different railroad
employees, asking for information
with respect to your organization
Withholding the strike order. Some
of these parties seem to feel that
because your organization is as
ISOLATED with the Railway Employees
Department, that it should be on
strike with the shop crafts; others
appear to express the view that the
cooperative agreement between the
associated organizations is being
violated by your organization.
In order that there mey be a
better understanding in connection
with this matter, we shall deal first
with the cooperative agreement
situation and then with the laws OF
the department.
The cooperative agreement re-
ferred to was signed February 10
1920, by sixteen associated standard
recognized railroad labor organiza.
tons. This agreement has been
printed so many times that it is
believed unnecessary to reproduce
it in full here, but we shall quote
from certain sections:
Section of the Cooperative
Agreement provides:
"There shall be no authorized
stoppage of work by any organiza.
ton party to this agreement, except
and until the requirements of the
respective constitutions have beer
complied with by the duly autho.
rized officers as to taking the re.
quired vote. In concerted action
all ballots for such vote shall bs
jointly prepared and approved
Tabulated returns shall be for
wardcd to the chairman and sec
rotary of this body by the respec
tive organizations, who shall com
pile and announce results of same
to all organizations parties to thi
agreement and legal vote for al
organization or group of organiza
tons shall be as required by theil
respective institutions, except a
to the organizations affiliated will
the Railway Employees Department
of the American Federation of La
Dor, which shall be as per that de
partment constitution"
1t will be noted by the Language
of this section that if one of tn,
organization laws should requir,
certain majority vote of the mem
bership of that particular organi
zation for a strike and the ma
jority votes was not secured, thel
under section 6, that organization
probably would not sanction
strike.
1t will be further noted that a
to the component organizations o
the Railway Employees Department
the department laws We're to b.
applied.
! Section 8, provides:
eff any organization or organiza
tions parties to this agreement fin,
it necessary to act independent,
Of this body, proper notice shall b.
given of such contemplated action
and information furnished to tn
body from time to time so as t,
avoid complications and misunder
standings"
Thus in this section it will b
noted that any organization O
group of organizations, at any tim
under this agreement could hav
drawn out of the cooperative &C
ton and acted Independently.
The closing chapter of this agree
ment provides:
"This agreement shall be effectiv
from February TO-, 1920, and con
tinue in full force and effect un
til matters in hand are completed.
The language "matters in han
are completed" was understood a
the time it was writtn to mean
the request for wage increase
lpending at the termination Of Fed
leral control, therefore when De