The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1926-01-13
Rail UNIONS
PROPOSE NO
STRIKE Law
Visit Coolidge Nth COL
Elaboration Plan
lspeolaI to rhe paIIy workerl

WASHINGTON, D. c., Jan. 1o-one
Of the most amazing proposals Of
class collaboration ever put forth so
far in America is that made public in
its more general outlines here by
a joint statement issued by the
attorney for the association of
railway executives, Alfred P. Thorn,
and Donald r. Richberg, general
counsel for the railway unions. It
was Issued, moreover, in conjunction
with publicity drive for the plan
and joint visit to President Coolidge
| by representatives of the unions and
the companies.
The text Of the law-since the
astounding part of this proposal is
that the class collaboration agreement
and the surrender of the right to
strike is to be made into the law OF
! the United States--is not made pub
lie as yet. When it is made public,
progressives assert more insidious
clauses will be found in it than are
revealed in the nicely worded expla-
nation of its issued by Attorney Thorn.
His statement as issued says, in part:
The "PubIic" Again.
"The president Of the United
States has in more than one message
to congress invited the rail carriers
and their employees to confer in an
effort to agree upon a method of ad-
justing labor disputes which will not
| only be mutually satisfactory and pro-
tective Of their just rights but which
will also properly safeguard the in
terests Of the public.
To Make Plan a Law.
IAN agreement has now been
reached and bill to carry it into eff
feet will be presented. to congress in
the immediate future. The provisions
of the bill may be summarized as fol.
lows:
"First-that it shall be the duty Of
the parties to exert every reasonable
effort to make and maintain agree
ments.
"Secondly-any and all disputes
shall be first considered in conference
between the parties directly interest
ed.
Board to Handle Application.
! "Third-adjustment boards shall be
established by agreement, which shall
! be either between an individual car
rier and its employees or regional or
national. These adjustment boards
will have jurisdiction over any dis
putes relating to grievances or to the
Interpretation or application of ex-
listing agreements, but will have no
Jurisdiction over changes in rates of
pay, rules or working conditions.
Fourth board of mediation is
created, to consist of five members
appointed by the president, with the
duty to intervene at the request of
either party, or on its own motion, in
any unsettled labor dispute. II
| it is unable to bring about an amicable
adjustment between the parties it is
required to make an effort to induce
them to concent to arbitration.
Arblters' Award is Law.
"Fifth-boards of arbitration are
provided for when both parties con-
sent to arbitrate. Any award made
by the arbitrators shall be filed in the
appropriate district court of the Unit
ed States and shall become a binding
judgement of the court.
"Sixth-in the possible event tht
a dispute between a carrier and its
employees is not settled under any of
the foregoing methods, provision is
made that the board of mediation
shall notify the president, who is
thereupon authorized in his discretion
to create a board to investigate and
report to the president within thirty
days.
What Becomes of Strikes?
Most evidently there is to be a
complete outlawing OF the increasing.
ly ancient" right to strike, agreed to
by the present officials of the railway
unions without the consent of their
union membership. What this men,
bership may say of the scheme has yet
to be known, altho 1t is certain to
result in widespread discomfort
among the rank and file of the rail
unions.
The fact that w. w. Atterbury.
president of the most vicious open.
shop company in the countryside
Pennsylvania railroad, visited Presl.
dent Coolidge and advised" him that
the plan was good one which was
appreciated by the railway companies.
is not expected to enthuse the rank
and file railroaders with any idea of
the plan being good for their inter.
| ests.
Union" Represe natives.
Those who called on Coolidge 10
propose the plan officially to him mum.
bered among the labor bureaucrats
w. II. Doak Of the Brotherhood Of
hallway Brakemen's Union, ID. B. Ro.
bertson OF the Firemen and Engine.
mems Union. Bert M. Jewell, head of
the shop craft unions and the attorney