New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1922-07-18
shopmen's Strike May Be
Called OFF This Week if
Hooper's Compromise Is
Approved in Joint p arley
Roads to Restore
Seniority Rights
Board to Assure Workers
of Lessened Wage Cut
and Old Overtime Paw
By Gilman Parker

CHICAGO, July 17.-There will be a
speedy end to the railroad strike. with
compromise settlement, according to
authoritative information obtained
here tonight.
Tomorrow or, at the latest, Wednes-
day B. M. Jewell, head of the 400 900
striking shopmen, and the chiefs of
the other American Federation of La
Dor railroad unions involved in the
walk-out will meet secretly with Ben
w. Hooper. chairman Of She Railroad
Labor Board, and probably Walter L..
McMenimen, labor member of the
board. So far as the unions are con-
cerned, tentative though unofficial ne
gotiations for peace are expected to be
completed at that meeting.
Then Chairman Hooper and Mr. Nc
Menimen, If the schedule mapped out
for them is carried through, and it Is
held certain that it will be, will go
through a similar procedure with ex-
ecutives authorized to act for the rail-
roads. One report tonight was that
the secret conferences already have be-
gun.
After these preliminary negotiations
the board, according to the carefully
laid plans made, is to issue citations
sides to appear before it, and the for
NAL bargaining for q settlement will
be on in earnest. This stage is expect
ed to be reached by Thursday or Fri
day, and possibly as early as Wednes-
day. so it is possible the strike may
be declared off by the end of this week.
Although similar tentative negotia-
tions instituted last week failed, the
new parleys, it is held in the informa-
ton given The Tribune, "are as certain
to be successful as anything in the
future can be certainty"
The results are expected to be as
follows:
That the railroads will finally agree
to three demands of the strikers;
restoration of their seniority rights,
the setting up of adjustment boards
on the various roads and the aboli-
ton Of contracting out of amy and
all railroad work.
That the strikers in turn will
finally agree to call off the strike,
under the promise that the Labor
Board will grant them an immediate
hearing as to their grievances on new
petitions These will ask that the old
wage scales be restored and also seek
the restoration Of some of the work
ing rules. 1t is understood that the
board is prepared to grant COM
promise wage increase lying about
midway between the old pay and the
present reduced scales, and that at
least one of the working rules, for
time and half for Sundays and holi-
days, will be restored.
Citations to Prove Authority
- Despite the we'll laid plans for set
Element there is an extremely delicate
situation involved, which is that in all
that it does the Labor Board must
consider "saving the faces" of both
the railroad executives and union
leaders. 1t is for this reason that
citations are to be issued, it was
pointed out, for then it is case Of
the board calling for a settlement and
not the railroads or the strikers.
Analysis of the expected peace terms
outlined above is that two of the con-
cessions the railroads are expected to
make-restoration of seniority rights
and the setting up of adjustment
boards-will not mean great deal to
them. These two Issues are considered
by some observers to be merely good
bargaining points.
On the question of abolition Of con-
tracing, however, the railroads will be
giving up something really of value
to them. Although majority Of the
lines never INDUCED in it and most
of those which did gave it up at the
behest of the Labor Board before the
strike started, the practice has been
one of the greatest thorns in the side
of the unions and therefore a power
full weapon, if only as threat, in the
hands Of the railroads.
Men to Make Concessions
AS for the shopmen, their calling OFF
Of the strike before actually getting
wage adjustments likewise will be a
real concession, as they have been firm
on that point until now. In the matter
of eventually getting ffty-ffty break
Continued on next pass)