Show S Switchmen it Give Their Reasons for Walkout The publicity committee appointed by bythe bythe bythe the switchmen who left their work work work-at at the local railroad yards rard has issued the following following following fol fol- fol- fol lowing official statement To All AU Working People A few days ago a peaceful withdrawal from the service was called by the yard of at the Chicago switching district district district dis dis- dis- dis without the authority and sanction of the officials of the organizations in involved in- in The walkout has now spread throughout the nation and is still spreadIng spreading spread- spread Ing Therefore it is essential that the public the railroad workers and the working class In general should be fully informed as to the causes leading up to the present difficulty The statement has been made that the cause of th the present trouble is the result of agitators within the ranks who simply desire to pull down the present unions and In their place erect a new one for purely personal and selfish notions notions no no- To be brief brier such is not the case the cause of the present trouble is over Insufficient wages to meet the ever growIng growIng growing grow grow- ing high cost of living personal discrimInations discriminations discriminations and other unbearable conditions Last l year the men appealed to the chief executives of the organizations organization for foran foran foran an Increase in wages sufficient to meet the advancing cost of living they in turn appealed to President Wilson to use his good office In n behalf of the workers v. In Inan Inan inan an effort to reduce the cost of living The president asked asked- for a reasonable length of time In which to try and effect a reduction in high prices before further pressing their demands for an increase Jn In wa wages es The men through the executives of their organizations agreed to withhold any further action in order to afford the tle president an opportunity to make good his promises After Atter waiting for sixty days when nothing apparently was was' was wa ac accomplished accomplished accomplished ac- ac there was another period of waiting and still sUIl another which in all amounted to about nine months MARKING TIME The workers have been marking time expecting relief from the profiteering pirates pirates pi- pi rates that have absolute control of ot the necessities of life in their hands The rank and file have arrived at a anoint I point where further patience ceases to tobe tobe Be a virtue and have therefore decided that as an nothing has been done in their I behalf it I is ii Incumbent upon them to withdraw from the service service- that does not furnish means for an all adequate subsist subsistence ence The rates of wages now being paid the yardmen are as follows Engine foremen 55 54 4 helpers 5 11 per day of eight hours T The e differential b between tween day and night work has been eliminated The rates east of Denver are still lower as I I there is a It cent 3 differential maintained east and west of Denver DEMANDS STATED Our demands are as follows An increase in of 61 per cent for all classes of service Involved Time and one-half one for tor all time worked over eight hours or miles Double time for Sundays Sundays' holidays and for second shift when worked within the twenty- twenty hour four-hour period Time for train and ad held hold at other than home terminal terminal terminal ter ter- ter- ter minal to commence after ten hours and thirty minutes so held All extra men to tobe tobe tobe be guaranteed per month Reinstatement Rein Rein- stat statement ment of all aU former without prejudice Before the days of profiteering one days day's pay would purchase a pair of shoe shoes Now It requires three days' days pay to purchase purchase pur pur- chase the same shoe and all other commodities commodities com com- have advanced in The present high cost of living makes maltes it obligatory for yardmen to work everyday every everyday everyday day in the month in order to subsist Train and are compelled to work the equivalent of forty days per month and are subject to call at any anytime anytime time day or night without any extra compensation for nights Sundays Sunda's or holidays holi holl- days which all other classes of workers enjoy If there are any causes for past dIfferences dif dlf differences existing between the various or organizations organizations organizations or- or these should be forgotten and every worker must rally to the support support sup sup- Support port of his fellow railroad worker now involved in the he present pres nt struggle Any worker that fails falls to si glye e his moral and economic support in this conflict Is working working work work- ing against his own Interest as well as against the interest of hl his fellow rellow worker workers work work- er ers and is Only playing into th hands halide of ot the capitalistic and profiteering profiteering- class PARAMO PARAMOUNT NT DUTY No o constitution or orn any aiu n so flO o called sa aa- aa cred agreement nt can ju justify anyone in taking a fellow rellow wo workers worker's ker job or In m other words words the bread and butter from the mouths of women and children The rhe duty of the working cla clas cla's s tb tO each other is paramount to all other other- I issues sues We must fully realize that this movement is not supported by the heads head of organizations The time tims has arrived for the workers themselves to unite and take their own matters in hand and further refuse t be I led Jed and dominated d by our autocratic officialdom The men involved in this controversy are fully determined not to i service Until a settlement on a amore amore more equitable basis can be reached I J et t tI I every railroad worker act as hii his own conscience dictates Put your shoulders to the wheel and help to eliminate the unjust conditions that are confronting us today Let each and every one do their dut duty remembering always that an Injury inJury injury in- in Jury to one is the concern of all PUBLICITY COMMITTEE |