Evening star., 1941-08-06
100000 Will Vote
On Railroad Strike
For Wage Increase
Bollots Being Prepared
After Carriers Reject
Demands Us Excessive
By the Associated Press.

By the Associated Press.
Strike ballots were being pre-
pared today for immediate transmit
tai to 100000 railroad workers
whose demands for wage increases
Representatives of the five operat-
Ing brotherhoods and IA non-oper-
ating unions, meeting in Chicago,
predicted the result of the mail vote
would be known in from a week to
80 days.
In rejecting the wage demands.
the carriers Conference Committee
which has been meeting with the
union men declared the Nations
railroads would be unable to pay the
requested boost, which the manage
ment estimated would total $780,
100000 year.
Members of the operating brother
hoods-engineers, f1remen, conduc-
tors, trainmen and switchmen-
asked 80 per cent increases for $780,
900 members. The other IA unions
sought raises of 80 to "a cents an
hour. The average scale of nom
operating railroad employees was
listed as STA cents an hour. The
lowest current wage among the op-
Grating men was said to be S5.06 a
day for switch tenders.
Tie-up Months Away.
Danger Of a railroad tie-up actu-
ally is months off because of pro-
tective provisions of the Railway
Labor Act.
If a strike is approved in the
voting, a date for the walkout would
be set quickly. Time could be con-
sumed, however, by the intervention
of the National Railway Mediation
Board and subsequent conferences.
If no settlement resulted, President
Roosevelt could appoint an emer-
gency fact finding board which would
delay action so days.
In Chicago President William
Green of the A. F. L. declared to-
day that "a railroad strike at this
time is unthinkable.
He added, however, that the de-
ciSion to take a strike vote was to
be expected.
Mr.. Green told reporters in a
press conference during the sum-
mer meeting of the A. F. L. EXecu-
tive Council that the railroad man
agements were not justified in TAX
ing the stand that led to a strike
vote.
Il hope and believe that an in
crease in wages approximating the
amount asked will be ultimately
granted. because railroad workers
have had no increase for some time
Mr.. Green said.
Huge electrical signs in midtown
New York blinked out for about a
half hour last night as non-striking
A. F. L. maintenance men staged
spectacular switch-pulling demon
stration in support of the strike of
5000 A. F. L. electricians. The 5000
are engaged in a jurisdictional dis
pute with the Consolidated Edison
Co.
Carpenters Prolong StOppage.
Construction work at the $4,000
900 Plum Brook ordnance plant at
Sandusky. Ohio, slowed toward a
prospective week end standStill as
675 A. F. L. carpenters prolonged
their work stoppage, begun Saturday
as a result of a wage dispute with
contractors. Nearly half OF the 3.lOO
construction workers were made idle
Yesterday by the carpenters absence,
and Army spokesmen predicted the
work would have to be halted COM
pletely by the week end unless the
strike is settled The carpenters are
asking a 25-cent increase in the
hourly S112i2 wage scale.
Twenty non-union girl inspectors
were barred from work at the
Aluminium Co. of America today as
the C. 1. o. National Association
of Die Casting Workers maintained
Its tight dues inspection" line
about the plants.
In all. about 200 A. F. l., nom
Union and ues-delinquent c. /. 0.
members were denied entrance at
the plant. Yesterday, the COM
panv estimated 400 of the plants
$500 workers were kept outside by
the die casting workers.
c. 1. o. steel workers. on strike
q month at the Heller Bros. Co.
plant at Newcomerstown. Ohio. won
a collective bargaining election and
began negotiating with the company
for a contract. The union wants
10-cent boost in the present wage
scale, which averages SIS to SO cents
an hour. The minimum now is As
cents.
Magnesium Output Threatened.
A strike of A. F. L. oil field and
refinery workers in a Michigan pro-
ducing area forced the o. H. Grimes
Gasoline Co. to shut down one OF
its natural gas plants. and the
shutdown was reported to have
threatened magnesium production at
the Midland (Mich) plant of Dow
Chemical Co.
Bus drivers and terminal en-
ploys of the Pacific Greyhound Lines
voted eight to one to strike unless
the company Immediately under
takes labor negotiations.
The vote, conducted by the Anal
eamated Association of Street, Elec-
trio Railway and Motor Coach En-
rloyes of America "a. F. L.. was
taken in Oregon California, Nevada,
Utah. Arizona, Texas and New
Mexico.
w. E. Travis. company president,
said the unions demand for cents
q mile for drivers instead Of the
present SO cents would represent an
addition OF 100000 a year to op-
Grating costs.