| Show 4 t I r ril il f LOSE JOBS Would I Be Given Retroactive Pay Increases WASHINGTON Feb 8 UP The UP-The The army gave striking railroaders railroaders railroaders rail rail- Thursday the choice of getting back to work by 2 pm p.m. MST Saturday Saturday Saturday-at at a pay increase increase or or of losing their jobs jabs The army acted after President Truman ordered it to take appropriate action immediately to end intolerable interference with rail movement of essential military and civilian supplies I Mr Truman at a news conference conference conference confer confer- ence accused the strikers of running running run run- I ning out like a bunch of Russians on a settlement agreement signed at the White House Dec 21 I In ordering the strikers to go goback goback goback back to work or be fired and lose seniority rights the army announced announced announced an an- pay increases adding up to just half what the unions settled settled settled set set- for on Dec 21 and later Ie re List Wage age Boosts Boosts Boosts' I The wage boosts ordered by the I army are 1 12 c c an hour for yardmen yardmen yard yard- I i I men and yardmasters and an I iI hour for road service I IThe The increases are retroactive I Ito to to Oct 1 and will continue in ef effect effect ef- ef feet until the dispute between the rail unions and management is is settled by a new agreement I I Meanwhile the army remains in i control of the railroads as it has been nominally since the government government government govern govern- ment seized them in August But all unless unless they can show they are genuinely ill ill iU- who fail to go back to work when called and all who walk off the job hereafter will be dismissed with consequent loss of seniority right the army said A Serious Blow Loss of seniority is a serious blow in unionized long-unionized industries like the railroads Most of the rail strikers mainly switchmen who had reported sick already had gone back to work before the president and the army acted But Chicago the nations nation's biggest rail center and Pittsburgh still were tied up The president in ordering the See Page 2 Column 3 S I Army Tells Rail Strikers C I IT To 0 Return i or Lose Lase Jobs I Continued from Page rage One Oneo o army action emphasized the neI necessity necessity ne ne- ne- ne I of preventing in the fu fuI future future fu- fu I 1 ture such threats to our national security I And the thc army in its work or fired order pointedly referred to toman toman toman man who hereafter fail to continue continue con con- at their posts The president at his news conference conference conference con con- ference said in a formal statement that any interference with movement of essential military I and civilian supplies is Intolerable intolerable able in an emergency Verbally and not for direct quotation quotation quotation quo quo- tation Mr Truman told reporters I that the unions involved after signing a settlement at the White WhiteHouse WhiteHouse House Dec 21 ran out on it like a bunch of Russians The army order said that if the Ute I management and union fail fan to reach an agreement within a reasonable reasonable reasonable rea rea- time that the army will recommend legislation to assure the resumption and continuance of normal rail service and the I Ithe settlement of the dispute between the parties Signs Rail Order The order was signed signe l by aso assistant assistant as as- o army secretary Karl larl R R. R 0 Bendetsen who has been nominal head of oC the railroads since the government took them over last Aug 27 to head off a wide nation strike In announcing the interim wage I increase the army pointed out that the railroad workers had no wage wag increase since September 1918 The back pay to Oct 1 will willbe willbe willbe I be paid as soon as accounting and I other nece necessary sary adjustments can be made I Mr oIl Truman read a statement h Ion on the rail strike at his news conference coni con con- i ference in which he praised switchmen switch switch- H I men who stuck to their jobs but denounced other ill advised and irresponsible men who are disregarding disregarding disregarding garding the emergency needs of their country Compared to Russ His comparison of the strikers to a bunch of Russians was made verbally in reply to questions and could not be q quoted directly Referring Referring Referring Re Re- ferring to a Dec 21 settlement signed at the White House by union and management leaders but subsequently rejected by the unions' unions general chairmen the president said the unions had run out on their agreement Lil Like e a bunch of Russians he said The Thc president ordered Pace to take appropriate action immedi immedi- Pace will announce his plans la later cr But the president added emphatically emphatically emphatically em em- that the railroads are i going to run no matter what wha t acI action action ac ac- ac- ac I tion lion is necessary Most Io t Return to Jobs Toh Most of the ail strikers have returned to work except in Chicago C Chicago Chi Chi- i- i cago the nations nation's biggest rail center Many switchmen 5 were drifting back to work there too But negotiations here to settle the I wage-hour wage dispute which prompted the walkout still were bogged down The government still sought I a formula to get the stall stalled cJ negotiations negotiations moving The walkout tied up freight and andI military supplies and forced some I plants to shut down for lack of raw materials i |
