The Connecticut labor news., 1922-06-30
RAILROAD STRIKE
(Continued from Page One.)

The union heads who issued the
 formal strike call and are cited
 before the board are: William H. Johnston, International Associa ton of Machinists; J. w. Kline, In.
 ternational Brotherhood of Black
 smiths, Drop Forgers and Helpers O
 America; J. A. Franklin, Information
 al Brotherhood of Boiler Makers
 Iron Ship Builders and Helpers ot
 America; J A. Hynes, Amalgamate6 Sheet Metal Workers Internationa Alliance; James F. Noonan, Interna-
 tional Brotherhood of Electrical
 Workers; Martin F. Ryan, Brother 1 Declaring that the railroads have acted on a common program to re-
 duce wages and obtain other advant-
 ages to the carriers, President Jew 1 elps message pointed out "one bene- l fit which may come to the carriers
 and their employees and to the general
 public, from the fact that there are
 national spokesmen of the conflicting nationwide withdrawal of men from
 employment in the railway service. if ] the railway executives sincerely de- sired to avoid this consequence of l their previous course of action"
 For this reason," the statement said, "in. behalf of and by the authori- ty of the executive council of the railway. employees department I am informing you and through you in forming the responsible heads of the various railway systems in the United States and also the Pullman company most of which are represented in the Association, of Railway Executives, that unless an immediate arrange ment can be made:
 CD. To continue the payment of the wages at present in force.
 "(2). To restore operation under rules six, ten, twelve, fourteen, if teen, forty-six and I77 Jas they exist ed prior to the amendments thereof proposed in decision 222; and
 "(3). To discontinue the contract ing out of work and shops, pending negotiations between the Association of Railway Executives and the rail way employees department looking toward adjustment of the existing disputes upon these questions, a sanction of withdrawal from em- ployment on July I, 1922, as voted by the employees, will be unavoidable" The three points on which the ex- ecutives are asked to meet the eme ployes' demands are identical with the three questions on which the unions are now completing their , strike ballot.
 The first ballot covers the $6o,ooo,- GOO wage cut ordered by the board,
 effective July T. The second ballot 1 involves seven rules regarding over | time and physical examinations, fought principally by the men be- cause they wiped out time and one , half pay for overtime and Sunday work The third strike question in volved the practice of numerous roads in farming out certain work, declared to be in order to avoid the rulings on wages and working condi- tions by the federal labor board. That the union men have no chance before the Labor Board is clearly in dicated by the reply to the protest of
 MT. Jewell by Ben ". Hooper, chair man of the board. He issued a state every student of the situation that the railway labor organizations have no just cause for serious complaint at the treatment they have received at the hands of the federal wage tribun- als during the war period and since" The people of the United States" he says, "are sick and tired of hav- ing railway transportation and traffic periodically interrupted by Controver- sies between railway arrangements and employees. It was this feeling which moved Congress to enact the transportation act of 1920.
 "The right to strike and tie up pri- vate business IS quite a different thing from any supposed right to choke and obstruct the flow of inter state commerce in this vast contin- ental nation. Railway transportation is not private business. It is es- sention to the very existence of our republic and to the individual we'll being of every citizen.
 "I do not hesitate to make the pre- diction that never again will there be a successful railroad strike of any considerable proportions of imDor- ! tance in this country. The people will not stand for 1t.
 With but slight exceptions, the great carriers of the country have 7 paid the wages fixed by the govern | ment tribunals Now that the de
 creases have come the employees
 should be good sports and accept tie reductions.
 "The employees do have one sub
 stantial grievance against certain of
 the carriers, and that is the con-
 tracing of railway. employment to so-called independent contractors.
 This is not simply labor grievance. it is a public grievance. This policy carried to its legitimate end, destroys the labor articles of the transporta- l ton act, treats the United States Congress with contempt, deprives the ] public of lawful protection from
 railway labor troubles and grievously
 imposes upon the employees"