Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1950-12-17
Nearly All Rail Strikes
Ended but Unions
Continue Pay Dispute

Wildcat railroad strikes had
ended last night in nearly all
yards over the country, but the
cause of the walkouts-a 81
month-old wage-hour dispute
fingered on.
About 10000 strikers in more
than a dozen major rail centers
returned to work following an
appeal from President Truman,
coupled with his warning that the
WalkoutS were endangering the
security of the country"
Operations in the Washington
! passenger terminal and at Poto-
mac Yards, across the river in
! Virginia, returned to normal as
| the striking SWitchmen returned
to the job. The back to-Work
movement ended the strike also in
Chicago. st. Louis, Pittsburgh,
Birmingham, Ala, and other
yards.
Mail Piled Up in Terminals.
However, strike-delayed mail,
parcel post and express, heavier
than usual because of the Christ
mas rush, was piled high in all of
the TlaceS.
Reports showed that the strike
was over in all cities except three
in the South and the Joliet-Elgin
area in Illinois. Yard workers were
still out at late hour last night
in Knoxville and Nashville, Tenn.
Federal mediation officials held
new and fruitless conferences here
yesterday in an effort to settle
the long dispute.
Members of the National (rail-
road Mediation Board met for
hours with the chiefs of the four
operating rail unions involved in
the dispute. A few blocks away
at the White House John r.
Steelman, assistant to President
Truman, held negotiations for
railroad management in confer
ence.
Unable to Reach Accord.
AfterWard all sides reported
that they had been unable to
reach an agreement on their diff
ferences.
| The rail unions are demanding
48 hours pay for a 40-hour week
for their members employed in
rail yards and terminals-the
equivalent of a 31-cent per hour
increase. They have been offered
an hourly boost of 18 cents an
hour to compensate partially for
the loss of take-home pay attend
ing the reduction of the hourly
work week from 48 to 40.
Unions representing the men
who operate the trains in over
the-road service have been Of
fered a pay increase of 5 cents
an hour. Both classes of work.
ers-the yardmen and overtime
road personnel-also have been
offered small COST living bon
uses, it was understood.
Despite efforts of the Federal
mediators, the unions stuck to
their contention that in postwar
wage raises their men are far
behind industrial workers. Like
wise, the carriers maintained they
were unable to give more than
they had offered.
The Government obtained Fed
eral court restraining orders
against the strike in Chicago
Washington and Cleveland. In
Chicago, Justice Department at
torneyS have asked the court to
punish the striking union for con-
tempt because strikers failed to
heed the order.
Federal attorneys said they had
not decided what course to pur-
sue in the cases, but they aban-
doned a plan to push for con-
tempt citation in District Court
here yesterday after the Wash
lngton terminal men returned to
work. Unless it is dropped, the
case here will come up for hear
! ing next thursday.
! The Chicago case has been SET
for hearing tomorrow. The
union is asked to show cause why
it should not be cited for con-
tempt.
While four big operating unions
are involved in the wage dispute,
only one, the Brotherhood of
Railroad Trainmen. was named in
any of the three court actions.
Except for a few isolated cases, all
of the strikers were members of
the BRIT.