THE COUNCIL AND THE TRAMWAYMEN.

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 1058, 22 February 1911, Page 6

THE COUNCIL AND THE TRAMWAYMEN.

DELAY IN NEGOTIATIONS. THE COUNCIL PROPOSALS. The frank way in which tho proceedings of the Tramway Conference wero thrown open to tho press when delegates of tho City Council met representatives of the Tramways Union a week ago possibly led some pcop ] o to j mag j ne t j,at a settlement of the matters in dispute would bo arrived at with comparative ease. This is very far from bring the actual position. Aβ a fact, the delay that has occurred and the postponement of tho second meeting of tho conference, Probably until Tuesday next, must be attributed to tho difficulty experienced by at least one of the parties concerned in formulatinz proposals.. Tho union roster was in form and ready to be handed over several days ago at least. About the council proposals, a oETtain. air of mystery hangs. Inquiries made yesterday of tho Mayor and tho Town Clerk elicited no definite assuranco that ■ tho proposals had been handed over to the union. Pursuing the matter further a Dominion* reporter was informed, on what appears to bo reliable authority, that the council proposals, when they nro made public; will be found to embody the formation of a spare list of 50 or GO men, about 20 per cent, of tho total number of motormen and conductors employed in tho sen-ice. In keeping with the Mayor's statement, when tho conffreneo last met, that eparclist men would have to bo paid a living wage, it is stated that the council proposes to guarantee men 50 employed fulltime employment of 48 hours per week. From the same fource it was gathered that the council proposals do not embody nny definite suggestion as to the payment of "motormen and conductors under anew agreement, or indeed anything else, of a definite character at all save tho natural proviso that all promotions to the Tank of permanent conductor, after the institution of th* spare list, diall be .niado from its ranksi From tho attitudo of a number of tramwaymon who wero interrogated last evening, it is plain Hiat they feel dissatisfied at the attitude adopted by tho council. Somo of them complained that, after a wait of .several months, it now teemed impossible to extract from the corporation anything in tho shapo of a definite proposal. It appears that the men will probably oppose any considerable addition to their numbers by tho institution of a spare list, or in any other way for their whole, position is based on the contention. that by thft application of a reformed Tester tho present tramway staff can rarrv out, the required duties under • much better working "conditions than at present. Th" council has thus far held that additional men must be employed if overtime is to be reduced and working conditions improved. Tho employment, of additional men would, it is state, make it more difficult to arrive at an adjustment of wages satisfactory to both parties, and ilifa>»r»«ment in this nnrticular may possibly lead to a deadlock..