The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1927-07-14
PREP AIRING FOR
I.R.T. STRIKE, SAY
union LEADERS
yellow Dog" Contract,
Fake Union, Issues

The American Federation Of Labor
today entered the dispute between the
I. r. T. and part of its 12,075 EN-
ployes with the result, it was said
that strike vote now hinges on the
outcome of a conference between
workers and William Green, president
of the federation.
The conference was to be held at
the Hotel Continental with P. J. Shea,
executive board member of the Anal
gamated Association Of Street and
Electric Railway Employees of Amer
lea, and James H. Coleman, organizer,
representing the employees who are
members of the association.
$500 Workers Ready.
( Although |. R. T. officials insist
there is no danger Of strike, Cole
man claims that approximately $500
men are ready to back the associa-
ton in the event walk-oRt is called.
The l. R. 7. claims that 1909 men,
or ninety-seven per cent, have signed
the new working agreement. The
percentage may be increased to nine
ty-nine per cent within few days,
according to Frank Hedley, president
OF the company.
/ Strike threats are based on the
fact that the I. r. T. has issued new
forms of individual contracts. Cole
man claims the employees are being
"bulldozed" into signing these con-
tracts,
There is great dissatisfaction among
the 10000 Interborough Rapid Tran
sit workers, much quiet talk of a
strike is going on. the yellow dog"
contract the workers have been forced
to sign has produced resentment that
has been but slightly allayed by the
restoration of the remaining S per
cent of the 10 per cent wage slash
made in 1921.
This is the result of survey made
by organizers who were active in the
last strike and is as accurate as such
a survey can be under the difficult
conditions prevailing as result of
the I. R. IT'S spy system.
Guioh NOTA Progressing.
In addition to this the temporary
court order restraining any and all
persons from organizing the workers
in anything but the company union
renders all known organizers liable
to immediate Imprisonment.
In spite of this, encouraging re-
ports are received at the headquarters
of the Amalgamated Association of
Street and Electric Railway Employees
and it is stated by responsible mem
bers that steady and consistent or
ganization work can build a union able
to defeat the industrial feudalism of
the 1. R. T.
Additional dissatisfaction has
arisen recently among the I. r. T.
workers by reason of the fact that the
new yellow dog" contract was au-
thorized by the so-called Committee
OF Slxty-one" of the I. R. T. "broth-
erhood" without the rest of 10000
workers being consulted, No meet
ing of the brotherhood" was held
and no referendum vote was taken.
background OF Situation.
A year ago this month the subway
motormen attempted to lead a general
walkout of the underground workers.
For month they fought valiantly.
their rank and file leaders organizing
them into an independent union-the
Consolidated Railroad Workers. Then
they called on the Amalgamated Assn.
to send in organizers.
Subway workers are especially sore
now. They have heard their employ
ers testify to the Transit Commission
what big bonuses they gave them
selves for breaking the strike. And
now these employers are coercing the
workers into signing the worst "yel
low dog" contract which has vet an
peared.
Since a recent supreme court de-
cision nullified the yellow dog con-
tract where no consideration is in
volved between the parties, the SUBJ
way employers have devised new dew
iltry. Without having their company
union locals so much as vote on it, the.
company insists that the men sign a
new agreement.
Insight Into Company Methods.
But here's the joker. Accompany
ing the contract are two books of
rules in which dozens of causes for
discharge are enumerated. Under one
or another of these pretexts, the com
pany can fire any or all of its 10000
workers. The company even specifies
that it can fire men when the force
has to be cut because more labor saw
ing devices have been adopted.
Company spies claim to be hot on
the trail of workers who refuse to
sign. They even advertise that those
bucking the new agreement are re-
ported every 10 minutesl Despite the
spies, it is stated well over half the
workers of the Interborough Rapid
Transit and other transit lines have
Joined the Amalgamated Assn.