The northwestern bulletin-appeal., 1924-03-29
DELEGATES MEET
TO DISCUSS ALL
PHASES OF WORK
Twenty Officials Attend Meeting
With Employes-Mechanics
Being Hired.
Pullman Men Hold Conference
(Rv the Associated NeRro press)

Pullman Men Hold Conference
(By the Associated Negro Press)
This is Pullman Porter week in
the Windy City. Chicago, admittedly
the center of all things which affect
the wearers of the well known "UnJ
Gle Georges Blue" is acting as host
to the group of representatives elect
ed by a countrywide vote of the
1884 porters and maids to confer
with representatives of the manage
ment of the Pullman Company and
negotiate an agreement on rules gov
erning working conditions.
The porters and maids were re-
Gently granted an increase Of pay
amounting to SO but the men have
contended for certain changes in
working conditions involving the
number of hours to constitute a day,
overtime and signing out" rules.
The company therefore decided to fol-
low the same procedure used with
their conductors and by various 9TH
er large industrial organizations,
that of arranging for employe repre-
sentation to present their grievances,
discuss them with company officials,
the two bodies to reach a decision as
to the policy to be followed. The rep
resentatives were elected from each
general district to this, the first Of
the gatherings.
Chicagoans Greet Delegates.
The delegates to the conference,
which will last a week, were intro
duced to the citizens of Chicago
Thursday night at a public meeting
which overflowed the boundaries of
the Wabash Avenue "Y" auditorium
by the colored mechanics and shop
workers of the Calumet shops. II
was a brilliant occasion and gave to
citizens generally an entirely new
idea of the openings being made by
colored men in the company's ranks
other than as parties as well as
thorough appreciation of the caliber
and ability of the men chosen to
work for the best interests of their
fellow employees.
Some twenty officials of the COM
pany were present, some appearing
on the program, which was punctu-
ated by band, orchestra, quartet and
vocal selections rendered by the Cal
umet Shop Workers organizations,
the maids and porters. Perry w.
Parker, president of the Pullman
Porters' Benefit Association, probably
the best known Pullman man in the
and certainly the leader in
all of the movements for the better
ment of the group, was master Of
Race Mechanics.
The company employs colored me-
chanics. Visitors were amazed when
they learned that the Pullman COM
pany has been quietly adding to the
colored mechanics and employees in
lhCi SdI MISUNDERSTANDING woiho, ydLuS
and repair shops until colored me-
,hanics are engaged in every single
type of work being done in Pullman
plants. Machinists, carpenters. cleo
upholsterers, painters. steel
and many others have learn
ID their trades completely In the
schools of the Pullman shops, starting
Is apprentices and now commanding
high skilled workers wages. These
men are employed in all the various
hops at Buffalo, Wilmington, St.
louis, Fort Worth and Chicago with
It. Louis where 500 of the shop en-
,loyes are colored. The officials say
hey are making good. Many other
zig industrial concerns are watching
he experiment closely and Perry
parker predicts many big plants win
,e opened to colored mechanics.
The representatives in attendance
It the conference are: James Sex
ON, New Orleans district, as chair
fNcuxtrvad -, "a % 9l