Salt Lake Tribune | 1917-03-18 | Page 2 | Ask Injunction Against Offices of Brotherhoods

ASK INJUNCTION AGAINST OFFICERS OF BROTHERHOODS PHILADELPHIA. March 17. Bills in equity asking for an injunction, against officers in Pennsylvania of tbe four railroad brotherhoods from putting into effect the general strike order were filed in the United States district court here today by individual members 1 of those organizations. As no judge was present, no time was fixed for a preliminary hearing. The bill has no effect on the threatened strike. The bills naming 131 Joea! chairmen iand chairmen of grievance commit tos in the state as defendants were filed by an engineer, a fireman, a conductor and !a trainman, all employed by tbe Pennsylvania Penn-sylvania railroad and all residents of I Baltimore. The principal allegation is that the authority given officers of the brotherhoods by the strike ballot taken last August terminated last fall when I negotiations at Washington resulted in 'the enaetruent of the Adamson law, and that the officers now are without legal 1 power tn call a strike. . ! rt is nlsn alleged that the chief of-i of-i ficers of the brotherhoods viohvted the i constitutions of their respective organi zations by arbitrarily refusing to arbitrate arbi-trate grievances; that the brotherhood chiefs last August procured a ballot vote of a portion of the membership to order or-der a strike contrary to the provisions of the by-laws of the unions; that the strike voted at that time was in violation vio-lation of the Jaws of the brotherhoods anil that the strike order violated the aims and purposes of the organizations, thus destroying the good understanding, harmony and co-operation existing between be-tween the membership of the brotherhoods brother-hoods and the railroad companies. Assets and property of the engineers' brotherhood exceed $2,000,000 in value, according to the bills; those of the firemen fire-men exceed $5,000,000, conductors, $2,-000,00, $2,-000,00, and trainmen more than $4,000,-000. $4,000,-000. In the event of a strike, it is set forth, this property and assets would be in jeopardy and would be dissipated for a purpose contrary to the objects of the brotherhoods. The complainants also aver that they may be deprived of their interest in the beneficial funds of their respective brotherhoods.