Evening star., 1951-02-08
Armv Orders Railroad Strikers
ToRetunby bySaturday or eFired
After Truman Demands Action
Wage Increase
Decreed for Some,
WuIkout Fades

from PreSlQent truman TO TAKE
appropriate action" today notified
striking railroad workers they
would be fired unless they report
for work by 4 pm. Saturday.
Only proof that they are physic-
ally unable to work, the Army
said, will save the jobs of sWi .ch-
ing crews who tied up the N ions
railroads with wildcat "sicH-call"
strikes.
At the same time, the Army an
nounced it will grant hourly wage
increases. effective retroactively to
last October /, for men who have
had no increase since September,
1948.
The increases provide 12l2
cents an hour more for the yard
men and yardmasters, and cents
for road service employees. This
is about half the amounts pro-
vided in a December 81 agreement
which union leaders refused to-
accept.
Directed by President.
Secretary of the Army Pace an
nounced the drastic "work-or- be-
fired order" less than two hours
after President Truman told his
news conference that he had di-i
rected the Army to take necessary
action to insure full operation of
the railroads.
Mr.. Truman, in fighting mood,
told reporters the striking rail-
road workers had run out on an
agreement like a bunch of Rus
slams.
Action of the President and the
Army came as the nine-day-old
"sick-call" strike appeared to be
fading. Strikers were back at
work in all major yards, except in
Chicago, Pittsburgh, Cleveland
and Toledo.
Mail Embargo Lifted.
The Post Office Department had
lifted its drastic mail embargo
and the Railway Express embargo
had been modified to permit ship
ments to all areas except Chicago
and New England.
In Washington full switching
crews were at work at Union Sta
ton and passenger and freight
service was being rapidly restored
to normal.
Secretary PAGES statement said
the wage increases granted by
the Army would be of interim
nature pending final settlement
of the 22-month- -old dispute be-
tween railroad management and
unions over wages and working
conditions. It said back payments
to October 1 will be made as soon
as accounting and necessary ad-
justments can be made.
The order, signed by Assistant
Secretary Karl R. Benetsen, said
the Army will recommend con-
gressional legislation to assure re-
sumption and continuance of nor
NAL rail service if the unions and
the operators fail to settle their
difference within a reasonable
time"
Draft Legislation Passed.
It was recalled that in May,
1916, when railroad workers
struck, President Truman asked
Congress to draft strikers and the
House passed such legislation. The
strikers called off their walkout!
then and the matter was pushed
no further.
Today's Army order is based
upon authority received from the
President last August 25. On that
day the Army took over control of
the major railroads to avert a
strike.
The order pointed out that the
vast majority of rail employees had
remained on the job, but that a
relatively small group had vio-
lated the law of the land"
despite the unlawful actions
Of a relatively small group" the
order said, "the fact remains that
certain of the operating employees
whose organizations have been in
volved in the dispute with the
owning carriers have had no wage
increase since September, 1948.
There have been increases in the
cost of living since the time of
the seizure by the Army in
August, 1947."
While President Truman's order
was being transmitted to the
Army, Judge Edward A. Tamm