East Oregonian : E.O. (Pendleton, OR) 1888-current, 1922-08-01
SENIORITY RIGHTS NOT
TO Be RESTORED, VIEW
OF UNION PACIFIC HEAD

That seniority rights of former en-
ployes of the Union Pacific System
have been forfeited and that the sys-
TEN will keep faith with the new
force of employees that have come to
the railroad during the emergency
created by the strike are two high
lights in u letter recently written by
C. r. Gray, president of the system,
TO L. E. Calvin, vice president. of Salt
Lake City, copy of which has been
received by f. d. Hall, local agent OF
the O. w. r. & n.
The letter was written July 16, but
the views expressed in it still hold, ac-
cording to information received by
Mr.. Hall. The letter in full is as fol-
lows
For the information of the general
public from whom inquiries have
reached me, as well as for the assur-
ance of our shop employees and those
who are entering our service every
day and to the end that or former
employees may thoroughly understand
our position, l wish you would COM
municate the contents of this letter to
the public through the press and to
all of our officials so that the public
and each former employ shall be per-
sonally advised in regard thereto.
Chairman Ben w. Hooper of the [. s.
r. r. labor board, July l, 1922, is
sued the following statement.
Regardless of any question of the
right of the men to strike, the men
who take the strikers places are
merely accepting the wages and work
ing conditions prescribed by a gov
ernmental tribunal, and are perform
ing a public service. They are not ac- |
cepting the wages and working con-
ditlons which an employer is trying to
impose. For this reason public senti- I
ment and full government power will
protect the men who remain in their
positions and new men may come in
Subsequently the labor board has
declared that the rules and working i
conditions under which the mechani- |
cal forces were working before the !
strike, are still in full force and eff |
feet They cannot be changed except |
by an agreement between our en- !
ployes and the management of this /
system, or in event of failure to reach |
mutual agreement by our employees !
mot former employees and, or the !
eX-parte or Jointly re-
ferred the disa greement to the L. $. +,
labor board for decision.
Therefore, since our former en-
ployes left our service of their own
free will and accord, thereby ceasing
to he employees of this system, the
public. and those who remained loyal !
to our service. and those who have
entered the service since the strike,
as well as those who are entering our
employ daily. may rest assured that
the manaeement of this system will |
use every resource at its command to
keep faith with them, and unquali-
fiedly pledges itself to make no set
tlement of the strike which will in any
manner whatsoever deprive them of /
their rights or jobs which they have
gained in accordance with our shop
crafts agreement and the declaration
Of the labor board. The only way that /
any one Of our former employees may 1
enter our service is as new en-
ploye, and the opportunity to even |
thus enter the service is growing lessl
day by day. owing to the fact that /
our forces are rapidly increasing.
The public will keep in mind that /
this strike is not against this railroad I,
system. hut that it is against the de- |
cision Of an agency Of our govern
ment. therefore the strike simply re |
solves itself into the question whether !
the orderly processes OF law and or /
der shall prevail, or the arbitrary ac- Z
tion of a very small minority. To the /
questh'n there can be but one answer. /
We are a law abiding people. the or /
dcrly processes Of the law shall pre- /
will The management of this sys- I
TEN has reliCiously at an times kept 1
faith with its employees both rs 10 its I
spoken and written word, and il al ]
ways will.