The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1927-03-16
WATSON-P ARKER
LAW SINCERITY
PUT UNDER TEST
Virginia Railroad Not
Recognizing Unions
BY LAURENCE TODD CFed. Press)


WASHINGTON, March 15.-Test
of the good faith of the railroad ex-
ecutives of the United States in pro-
noting the enactment of the Watson
Parker railroad labor mediation act is
to be made by the shopmen of the
Virginian road, at Princeton, w. Va.
Threatened by officials of the road
with loss of their jobs and their homes
for without the jobs they must
leave their homes-64 of the 70 shop
mechanics and apprentices who re-
Gently applied to the international AS
ISOLATION of Machinists for a local
charter have been advised to go back
to their company union, while 6 men
have been chosen to make application
to the U. S. Board of Mediation to de-
fend the right of the whole group to
Join the regular trade union. Their
mediation application was duly filed
with the Board by President Wharton
Of the 1. A. NJ. on March IA.
Scab Herding Road.
/ This Virginian railroad is a coal
carrier which locked out and crushed
its organized employees some years
ago, and has furnished seabs to the
Western Maryland and other anti
union roads since that time. It's pres
ident, Hicks, some time ago declared
in a speech that he would be glad to
see grass growing in the streets of
Princeton. This outburst was due to
quarrel with the local business men
over the privileges claimed by his
company. Local sentiment against
the corporation became acutely
aroused. Then a number of prominent
men in the shop were discharged.
Shopmen on the Virginian Railroad
are told they belong to a Mechanical
Department Association or company
union. The discharged employees asked
the committee Of this company union
to take their grievance to the boss,
who is one Sasser, superintendent of
motive power. The committeeman re-
fused to act, saying they did not pro-
pose to lose their jobs.
Form Union.
Some of the holder spirits then got
into touch with a union organizer, and
10 Of the sc men in the shop asked
for a union charter. Sasser, learning
Of this from his spies, proceeded to
inspire or dictate a petition addressed
to himself, and circulated among the
loyal" employees for signatures, ask
ing himself to dismiss all agitators
for a trade union, since they were
destroying the peace and harmony
heretofore existing"
President Hicke sent a general rep
resentative, Markham, to advise
Sasser, who posted a notice warning
all employees to stay out of the |. A.
NJ. or suffer drastic action" on his
part. He then called in the men and
threatened to dismiss every one of
them, closing the shop if necessary,
to bust up" the new union. He or
dered 10 apprentices to go to the
union representative and demand re-
payment Of their SO initiation fee.
These apprentices made affidavit that
they were sent, on company time and
with carfare paid.
Violate Law.
Sasser's overt acts violate Para
graph 3, Section =, of the Watson
Parker law. which guarantees free
dom to the workers to select their
own spokesmen in dealing with griev-
ances.
Representatives" 1t says, "for the
purpose Of this Act, shall be desig-
mated by the respective parties in such
manner as may be provided in their
corporate organization or unincorpo-
/ rated association. or by other means
Of collective action, without interfer-
ence. influence, or coercion exercised
by either party over the self-organi-
cation or designation Of representa-
tives by the other"
II the new law is not fraud on
the shopmcn's unions, the Virginian
Railroad must deal with the Prince
ton local fine Machinists as an ac-
complished fact. Al other anti-union
roads must do likewise when ma