STRIKE OF 350,000 MEN

Grey River Argus, 17 December 1943, Page 3

STRIKE OF 350,000 MEN

On U.S.A. Railways

VOTED FOR WAGES INCREASE.

NEW YORK, Dec. 15

Five railway operating brotherhoods at Cleveland announced a strike for wages increases, to be effective from December 30, affecting approximately one-fourth of the nation’s railroads. Members of yard and service brotherhoods, numbering 350,000 will leave their jobs on December 30. A progressive strike plan calls for stoppage of work on other selected groups of railroads on each succeeding three days. The nation’s five railway operating brotherhoods announced the strike to enforce demands for wage increases.. The unions said that 97 per cent, of the brotherhoods’ members voted for the strike, which is a protest against frozen wages and rising cost of living. The brotherhoods’ president, in a statement said: “We approve this strike, thoroughly aware of its immediate effects; but v/e believe that in the long run such action on the part of a large powerful labour group will redound both to the military success of the war, and also the present post-war welfare of the common people. The strike vote reflected deep spreading dissatisfaction with economic management of the war. The brotherhoods had asked for wage increases of three dollars daily. The Emergency Board awarded four cents hourly.” The President added: The move is fundamentally a strike against gross injustice in administration of war economy affecting wage earners, also salaried peonre, It is a strike against inflation for many. This is action to halt, the policies throwing this country into a major economic crisis, with consequent destruction of public morale fa'r more hurtful to the war effort than any temporary work stoppage in protest of it. We do not believe the swollen railroad earninpis, larcenous profiteering, soaring prices and depressed real wages are necessities of the war effort. Frantic 'cheap Appeals to patriotism issued by officers of the War Mobilisation and Stabilisation