Evening star., 1932-09-21
RAIL LABOR WON'T
CONSIDER PAY CUT
Carriers Notified Conference
on Wages Regarded as
MUnWise."

Railroad labor today served notice on
the carriers that it would not consider
a voluntary wage reduction.
The views Of labor were embodied in
a letter from the Railway Labor Execu-
tive Association addressed to w. F.
Thiehof1, general manager of the Bur-
lington. Thiehoff is chairman of the
Railway Management Committee, which
yesterday conferred informally with the
labor leaders who are in session at the
Hamilton Hotel.
The question Of wage reduction has
been agitated in oficial railway circles
for some time, inasmuch as the agree
ment between carriers and employees
under which the latter took voluntary
wage cut of 10 per cent last January,
expires January 81, 1888.
Conference "Unwise."
The letter to Thiehoff was signed
by A. F. Whitney. chairman OF the
Labor Executive Association and head
of the Brotherhood Of Railway Train
men He said the labor leaders be-
lieved wage conference would be
"unwise," and said also that referring
to the condition in which employees
find themselves that they certainly
have no desire or willingness to CO.
operate in making them worse"
The text Of his letter follows:
cat our meeting yesterday we under
stood that your committee sought to
ascertain whether the members Of the
Railway Labor Executives Association
would care to facilitate conferences on
the matter of wages to be effected after
February /, 1888. We understood that
your committee had in mind that It
would seek authority to represent the
railroads in this matter If q similar au-
thority should be sought for commit
tee to represent the employees. We did
not discuss any wage issue yesterday or
answer your suggestion, but undertook
first to consider it by ourselves.
I'VE are of the unanimous opinion
that a wage conference at this time
would be unwise, and that, having no
authority to enter upon such con-
ference, we should not either seek such
authority or encourage any effort to In
augurate wage negotiations.
Expectations Failed.
"The agreement of January 81, 1892,
between substantially all the carriers
dll0 tllCA CulplOyCS plONl0Ca tAAao SAAS
10 per cent deduction from pay checks
should cease automatically January 81
1888. That date is over four months
distant. Many Of the expectations
which led to the signing of the exist
ing agreement have not been fulfilled
in the past eight months and few per-
sons will assume the foresight to
prophesy the conditions which will exist
at the end Of the next four months.
You know that the railway employees
have suffered not only q 40 per cent
loss of employment, but that a ma
jority Of those working have had only
part-time employment with a 10 per
cent deduction from compensation. You
know that our conditions have grown
steadily worse since January 81, 1882.
No one would truly represent the en-
ployes by encouraging any effort by
doing anything except to improve pres
ent conditions. The employees certain
ly have no desire or Willingness to CO.
operate in making them worse This
rnent made public by our association
August "a.
ITO avoid any public misunderstand-
ing Of our position We are making public
this letter"
C0nIcfreQ xeStef0ay.
The wage reduction to which the en-
ployes submitted last January was
through negotiation between employers
and employees. The notice served upon
the carriers today by the workers means
that If the carriers desire either that
the present status be maintained or
that a further cut of or 10 per cent,
which is the figure generally used in
the discussion, be made that it will be
necessary for them to proceed through
the governmental machinery set up IN
the Board of Mediation.
In connection with the statement
today, Whitney issued a memorandum
in which his previous statement was
emphasized that the conference yester-
day was not arranged in connection
with wages, but that they simply met
with rail executives at Thiehods in
Ntation.
Whitney's memorandum was as fol-
lows:
I'VE have not held or arranged any
conference with railway oflcials about
wages. Yesterday at their request We
met with a committee of nine railway
oficias headed by Mr.. Thiehoff. What
they suggested and our answer are
shown In the following letter. which
we sent to the COMMITTEES today
When yesterdays meeting broke up
1t was understood the managers, who
are at the Shoreham Hotel, might
confer again today with the labor
leaders. but such meeting was not
in progress early this afternoon. Some
statement on behalf Of the carriers
was expected, however. -