The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1924-06-23
DETROIT'S CAR
WORKERS SOLID
AGAINST BOSSES
Capitalists Refuse to
Recognize Courts
By SHERMAN BOWMAN,


DETROIT, June 22.-Even the cir
cult court of Wayne county has re-
pudiated the Detroit Street Railway
commission in its stand against arbi-
trating wages and working condi-
lions with the $500 platform EN-
ployes of the municipality owned De-
troit cars.
Judge Theodore J. Richter in cir
cult court has issued a writ of man
damus compelling the commission in
the arbitration procedure to recog-
nize union officials designated by the
men as the mems representatives.
Must Meet Real Union.
The commission had sought to ar
bitrate by recognizing not the desig-
mated union officials but committee
Of platform employees chosen as =
bona fide company union. in an cleo
ton managed by the commissions
Representatives Less than 400 men
voted in the commissions election,
whereas the designated union Of
ficials had been named in petition
cluded the following slap in the face
platform men, whose wages and work.
ing conditions are at stake.
In his opinion Judge Richter in
Guided the following slap in the face
for the city and the bureaucrats Of the
department Of street railways:
ut is the claim of the respondents
(the commission that notwithstand-
ing this large body OF men the petit
toners (the union executives) OBJ
viously represent, they can not deal
with them but that they will deal
with men chosen at an election at
which less than 400 men voted. This
petition seems to be entirely without
reason. If the respondents are willing
to deal with men elected by less than
400 out of $500 membership, why
they should refuse to deal with men
elected by $500 platform employees
out of the same number is beyond
me-" Cd
Bosses Answer BY Radio.
There was irony in the situation at
! the announcement of the opinion
Clarence e. Wilcox, $10,000-a-year at
torney for the department of street
railways; Ross Schram, assistant gen.
eral manager and swivel chair marti-
net of the lines, and J. A. Martin, act
ing mayor, all Of whom refused quar-
ter to the union, were on board the
S. S. Noronic on Lake Huron on the
annual Detroit board Of commerce
cruise and had to send their COM
ments by radio to the newspapers and
the awaiting puppets of big business.
Moreover, the attitude of the COM
mission was further borne out by the
statement of John J. Barlum, capital
list, and one of the three members Of
the commission. He showed that the
would-be union-smashing commission
would go as far as it could toward
ignoring a court that would not play
the game Of the commission and the
game of the real power that is oppos-
ing the streetcar mems union, the or
ganized industrial and finance CAPT.
talists.
Boss Won't Recognize Law.
1--WE will certainly carry this fight
to higher court" Barlum announced.
1--WE will never submit to arbitration
with any union which represents, as
this one does, city employees. We do
not believe that the granting Of a writ
Of mandamus gives the union any
more right to speak for the employees
Of the city Of Detroit than II had be-
fore the writ was authorized"
So that, If the court had halted the
understanding tactics of the COM
mission, the commission has repudi-
ated the courts. BY this the status
iof courts and constitutionality is said
by the more militant workers to be IL
Illuminated.
Meanwhile the solidarity of the plat
form workers is iron-clad. And If their
morale is not weakened thru bureau
cratic theorizing and negotiation they
will win their demands for IA per
cent wage increase and the partial
elimination of the so-called split runsa