The Prince George's enquirer and southern Maryland advertiser. (Upper Marlborough, Md.) 1882-1925, 1922-06-09
RAIL men CALL
FOR STRIKE VOTE
Ballots to Go Out to Half Million
Maintenance and Shop
Men.
RESULT TO BE KNOWN JULY |
Union Leader Says Order to Walk Out
May Follow Four Days Later
Other Brotherhoods Likely to
Seek Referendums.

Detroit.-Declaring living costs had
not declined more than per cenF,
while the United States Railroad
Labor Board would reduce, the wages
of railway workers on an average of
1872 per cent, the executive council of
the United Brotherhood of Maintenance
of Way Employees and Railway Shop
Laborers ordered the taking of a strike
ballot.
The slash ordered by the Labor
Board to take effect July 1 was char
acterized as "unwarranted and unfair"
Ballots will be sent out to 47S,O00
members of the union and about 12,OG0
nonunion workers, virtually every rail-
road in the country with the exception
of short lines and electric roads being
affected.
"The ballots will ask whether the
workers are willing to accept a cut"
said President E. F. Cradle. eff they
are not, the union will use it's full
economic powers to resist the reduc-
tion'
The returns are expected to be in by
July 1. Mr.. Cradle, after the meeting,
said he had been empowered to call
strike if the ballot favors that method
of protest. July has been fixed as the
tentative date by which arrangements
can be completed to put the strike into
effect. The wage cut is effective July
/ under the Labor Board order.
Mr. Cradle said he believed other
railroad brotherhoods would conduct
strike referendums within the near
future, and declared that if the others
voted to strike the maintenance of way
men would join them, in the event the
members of his organization desired a
walkout.
The brotherhood's financial condi-
ton is the best it ever has been and
sufficient funds are available to con-
duct strike, the president said. He
declined to state the amount the BROTH
erhoOd has in its treasury.
A strike on the part of the brother
hood would, according to the president,
affect all mechanics, maintenance of
way men, including section hands and
foremen, track men, cinder pit men
and carpenters on all the chief rail-
roads.
Cradle sad he based his belief that
other unions might take a strike vote
on the attitude shown at the recent
meeting in Chicago of representatives
Of the railway department of the
American Federation of Labor, at
which he said sentiment was favorable
for strike vote in the event of wage
reductions.
"The question Of strike Is entirely
up to the membership of our brother
hood" Cradle said. "If a majority Of
men desire to resist the wage, reduc-
tions strike will be called as soon as
possible"
Shop Crafts Threaten Strike Vote
Chicago-A virtual ultimatum to
the railroads through the United States
Railroad Labor Board was presented
by the Federated Shop Crafts, repre-
senting 100000 railway employees, in
a request for a conference with the
board on Thursday, when the Federal
body will be asked to take immediate
Jurisdiction of all cases in which rail-
roads are alleged to be disobeying the
boards orders. If the board declines, a
strike ballot will go out at once to shop
men all over the country.
With a further wage cut threatened
in a decision expected to be handed
down by the board on Friday or Satur-
day, a third question is likely to be
placed on the ballot, according to B.
NJ Jewell, head of the shop crafts.
Two questions, one on alleged viola
tions of board decisions by letting out
shop work, and the other on elimina-
tion of time and half for overtime,
have already been authorized for sub
mission to the men.
If another pay cut is authorized by
the board, the pending ballot undoubt-
edly will be converted into triple ba.'-
relied strike threat, Mr.. Jewell said.