The Key West citizen. [volume] (Key West, Fla.) 1879-current, 1950-04-25
Behind The
World News
BY WALTER BREEDE, JR..
Associated Press Writer


railroad networks in the country
is scheduled for Wednesday
morning.
AS far as the union is con-
cerned, the villain in the piece
seems to be the Diesel locomotive.
The diesel, with its moo like
below. is fast replacing the iron
horse; there are some who say it
is driving the steam locomotive
out of existence.
The oil burning Diesels are
cheaper to operate than the old
type coal-fueled engines. They
require less maintenance and
fewer repairs. Breakdowns are
more infrequent, and the Diesel
can be kept running for many
thousands of miles before it has
To go back to the shop for over
hauling.
All of which is conceded by the
Brotherhood of Locomotive Fire
men and Enginemen. The union
is making no objection to the
growing popularity of the Diesel
as such. What the union does OBJ
ject to is the cutback in the num-
Der of jobs in the switch from
steam to diesel power.
The fight started in 1884, when
the Burlington Road put its first
big Diesel into operation.
Where the old-type steam en-
CINE had required the constant
attention # a crew of three, the
first Diesel was operated by one
man alone.
The rail unions Immediately
raised objections. They said the
safety of passengers and train
men was at stake Suppose the
solitary engineer BACKED out?
Suppose he overlooked an OBJ
struction on the track. or failed to
see a danger signal? Two pairs of
eyes, the Unions argued, are bet
ter than one. And what if the
machinery needed attention? The
rail unions threatened to strike.
Under this pressure, the Burling-
ton added one fireman. giving
each ofits big diesels a two-man
crew This set a precedent for the
other railroads. =
The Unions then. clanlored for
a third man. With asunanimous
voice, the railroads shouted mo"
They referred cnntemptuously to
the union demand as Feather
bedding For a time, two big ran
unions Dressed the fight The
Brotherhood of Locomotive En-
gineers ieIema1ded that the crew
of every big, multiple-unit Diesel
include a relief engineer as well
as the regular engineer and fire.
man already provided The Bro
therhood of Firemen and En-
ginemen demanded that an ex-
ira fireman be added. Only the
firemen are involved in the cur
rent dispute, the engineers ap-
parently having decided to sit
this one out. But the arguments
are very much the same-both
the firemen and the engineers
contending that a multiple-unit
Diesel requires a crew of three
for safe and efficient operation.
This is denied by the railroads,
and they have the recommends
ton of Presidential Fact-Finders
to back them up.
Presidential Boards have held
that an extra man on a Diesel
crew is not necessary.
So now the railroads are say
ing, strike or no strike, no adj
ditfonal firemen will be employ
ed on Diesel electric locomotives
which have no fires to tend.
AS their first strike targets, the
firenen. lave chosen four rail
road systems which have con-
verted extensively to Diesel cleo
trfc power. They are the Santa
Fe. operating between Chicago
and the West Coast. the Southern
Railway. the Pennsylvania Sys-
tenn West of Harrisburg and the
New York Central, West OF But
falo Also three subsidiaries of the
New York Central: the Big -Four,
the Ohio Central and the Michl-
gan Central West of the Detroit
River.
Other railroads, and other parts
of the Pennsylvania and the New
York Central, may be struck
later. ~
The Firemen's union says the
railroads can well afford to put
! third man on the Diesels. Bro
therhood President D. y. Robert
SON declares, and we quote:
..It IS impossible to understand
how the railroads support their
-, ,os;tion. Diesel operations are
effecting enormous SAVINGS
enough to pay the cost Of all our o,
safety requests and still proViue
,,nprecedented profit
The railroads counter by say
inc the union is not sincere IN us
mr., ,rofessed concern for safety, Dus
e Interested only in creating ex-
ira jobs. b.ol,aro,,nd
of this fight IS mucn llea ,eIe
Struggle comparative strug sasos
~ S'at SSe two giants of the fuel
;nd,,strv. oil and coal, The Dlesels
are symbolic OF the sao~ ,,,as