New-York tribune., 1922-06-07
Eleven Unions Will Take
Ballot at Once: Date
Of Strike. if Ordered,
l. Scheduled July L
Other Reductions
I'm Pay TO Follow
Jewell Assails Tribunal,
Asserting Ii Operates
i'm Interests of Roads

nNFfIn' IiI. NNffN 70 10
CINCINNATI. June s. Aroused
By the action Of the United States
Labor Board in cutting The wages Of
railroad shopmen and maintenance
Of way laborers, officials Of eleven
railway unions including The Rail-
way Employees Department Of the
American Federation Of Labor, 20
day authorized a nationwide strike
vote, returnable on June 80. II the
vote is for strike, The strike would
begin on July !. and would affect
100000 men.
The Big Four brotnerhoods are
not represented AZ tho conference
here. and the strike vote would not
affect them.
The wages Of tho maintenance n
way men were orderei reduced about
$4,000, 900 a year last week ehec-
tive July I. Word of the reduction
in the wages Of shopmen about s6O.-
900, 900 a year, which was announced
to-day in Chicago, was received ~nlle
the brotherhood chiefs were on con-
ference. Cuts in wages Of other en-
ployees are expected.
Soon afteruard q. M Jewell. prssi-
dent Of the railway employee depart.
ment. stepped from room IN the Pal
ace Hotel. where executive sessions
we're being held. and said a decision 10
take the strike vote had been reached
practically without discussion Nr
Jewell refused 20 discuss the pos.lbli-
+ ity Of strike except 20 say that me
+ situation was very serious.
Cut Declared uniusti6ed
4 "By no stretch Of the facts ean the
/ decision af the Labor Board b. 'lfti.
fed Mr. Jewell asserted in formal
/ statement III is obvious that 'ne DO.
cision was not reached through any
consideration Of the merits contained
In the evidence submitted
II am astonished that a body NJ me
boards prestige and dignity should b.
willing 20 send out such hastily
dressed up and obviously unfair anoi-
ogy for me rates Of pay awarded.
"The board was offered evidence a.
% the amount necessary 20 secure tho
necessities of lie for families in falI-
road communities The rates which
will result from this decision are 50
far below those necessary that tbs
evidence must have been ignored
The board was also offered evidence
% show that throughout the period
since 1917 the wages Of employees
covered by this decision have fallen
consistently behind the cost ~ living
The decision contains figures tend
ing 10 show that the purchasing power
Of wages under the decision will be
considerably higher than those of the
pre-war period The table given mis-.
represents the facts. Il Is contradieted
b. the wage report issued by the beard
itself 10 inform the public. refer 20
wage series report 40. 3.
Holds Living Standard Lowered
"Using the boards own figures. con
tanned IN this report it appears that
under the present decision the average
OF helpers and apprentices. will pun.
chase less Of the necessities of life thar
/ the wages Of these same employees
would purchase IN 1915 when the cos,
o. living started 20 rise.
"ln the case Of FIVE of tho shop
crafts. these wages will purchase less
than those Of 1915 by more than 70
per cent In the case Of three % the
crafts, the new wages will mean A
/ decrease Of more than IS per cent m
/ the standard Of living.
The employees cannot help noticing
: the contrast between their losses and
. the increasing profits of the railroads
{ The payroll losses Of the shop crafts
since 1920. as the result Of decisions
and lay-ofs, amount % AZ leas,
/ $3.50, 100000 on the basis of authori-
tative figures from the Interstate Com
merce Commission and the Labor
Board
similarly. the maintenance of va-
employees arc losing NJ the annua.
rate Of more than $500. 100000. Al
together. the policy Of reductions IN
wages and In forces has taken from
the employees az least S750.00O.000.
"Such a reduction In payrolis makes
the 10 per cent reduction m railroad
rates. totaling saving 20 the public
Of about $500, 100000. look pretty small.
Some one is pocketing the difference.
Effects Of Decision Discussed
AT this early time ! can forecas,
but three Of the effects Of this deei.
sion.
First will be an immediate eonar.
nation Of the belief among our mem
bership and among railroad employees
in general that the Railroad Labor
Board is not an imperial court created
to dispense justice but = body created
10 help the railroads carry out their
labor policy. am not for the moment
saying this impression Is right But
I am saying such decision makes I.
inevitable.
Second. We never have favored the
institution Of such a board. The cor
rectness Of our attitude AZ the time
when the law was being framed is con.
hrmed We see that the law gives 10
the owners a guaranty Of better earn.
ings than we're ever before enjoyed
and takes from the employees stan.
dards which they believed they had
won for all time.
"The feeling that viii grow with
such decisions will 60 far 20 undermine
the confidence Of our membership In
our national institutions. They can
not feel that such government "a
their government. To them " will ap.
pear an employers government
9TH Iktrd afffFf otII la lamar -