Evening star., 1928-04-12
M|TTENANDU UNION
. HAVE UNIQUE PACT
May Have Lasting Effect on
Labor Conditions in UtiIi-
ties Field.
BY J. C. ROYLE.
,ial Dispatch to The Star.

Special Dispatch to The Star,
NEW YORK, April l2.--Street rail-
way experts admitted today that the
alliance just formed between Thomas
E. Mitten, chairman of the board OF
the Philadelphia Rapid Transit Co. and
head of Mitten Men and Management.
and w, .. Mahon, head Of the ANAL
gamated Association Of Street Railway
Workers, may have lasting effect on
labor conditions In public utilities all
over the Nation.
Executives of the Amalgamated have
signed an agreement to make the Nit
ten plan of management the basis OF
union management relations ON any
property which is operated by Mitten
Management now or in the future. The
Philadelphia and Buffalo systems are
made the standard upon which the
union and the management Will work
together to reach elsewhere.
The remarkable part of the agreement
is that while the Amalgamatd Is one
of the largest and most powerful union
groups In the American Federation OF
Labor, and strongly opposed to company
unions, Mitten Management always has
dealt directly with its men.
Dealings With the Men.
Mitten Men and Management is part
owner and real operator of the street
railways of Philadelphia. including sur
face cars, elevated roads, subways, taxi
cabs and buses. When T. E. Mitten
went to Philadelphia from Chicago in
1911. the Philadelphia Transit Co. was
In sore financial straits on account Of
labor trouble. Mitten barred the union
men, created a union of his own under
the name Of cooperative body. and, full
filling every promise to his workers,
won their confidence and loyalty. BY
his savings system he enabled the men
to acquire large amount Of the stock
OF the Rapid Transit Co. around $50 a
share, lifted the market value OF the
stock to $50 and it Is paying dividends
at the rate Of $3.50 year. A few years
ago, when the Producers and Consumers
Bank, labor organization, became in
solvent, the Mitten Bank took over the
assets and paid all claims in full. Later
the Mitten Bank absorbed the Philadel-
phia Bank of the Brotherhood of Loco
motive Engineers
Under the text Of the agreement be-
tween the two men, the Mitten Man.
agement reiterates its desire to deal
with organized labor whenever any
union organization will undertake to
cooperate for increased economic eff
cheney and where two-thirds OF the
union members in secret ballot shall
SO elect.
Other Systems Arrangement.
Mahon, for the Amalgamted Associa-
ton of Street and Electric Railway
Employees, announcing also their desire
of cooperating and aiding their mem
bers TO participate in rewards other
than wages paid. has agreed to make
the Philadelphia Rapid Transit plan of
1926 operative on systems or parts Of
systems under Mitten Management or
to be acquired, provided two-thirdS Of
the union members shall have so de-
termined by secret ballot.
The Philadelphia and Buffalo COM
panies are TO remain as at present. so
far as organization activities are con-
cerned, 1t being desirable that the
situation remain as at present in order
that the standard of excellence be the
standard by which union performance
mi cooperating with Mitten Manage.
ment on other properties shall be
measured"
When the standard Of the new COM
panies reaches the point where results
are equal 10 those In Philadelphia and