Monday,
August
14,
Prince
Rupert
Daily
News
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It
is
important
that
you
understand
clearly
why
the
managements
of
Canada's
railways
believe
a
railway
strike
is
absolutely
unnecessary.
Our
reason
for
this
conviction
is
.that
we
have
made
the
employees
involved
in
the
present
dispute
a
(air
offer
of
wage
increases
and
improvements
in
working
conditions
which
if
applied
to
all
employees
will
cost
us
$37,000,000
a
year.
Ve
have
further
acknowledged
a
moral
obligation
to
implement
the
40-hour
week
at
the
appropriate
time,
and
we
have
explained
why,
in
fairness
to
Canadian
industry
and
all
other
employers
of
labour,
we
cannot
put
it
into
effect
now.
To
do
otherwise
would
be
to
perform
a
disservice
to
industry
in
general
and
to
all
employers
and
employees
alike.
The
railways,
after
making
two
previous
offers
which
the
union
leaders
rejected,
have
now
made
a
third
and
final
offer
which
gives
the
employees
the
choice
of
either:
an
increase
in
wages
averaging
814
cents
per
hour,
or
a
reduction
in
the
basic
work
week
from
48
to
44
hours,
with
an
increase
in
wage
rates
of
9.1
so
as
to
maintain
or
in
some
cases
improve
present
"take
home"
pay.
The
labour
leaders
have
made
no
concessions
at
all
and
have
refused
to
budge
from
their
original
demands
for
a
5-day
40-hour
week
with
maintenance
of
present,
"take
home"
pay,
and
in
addition
increases
of
7
cents
and
10
cents
an
hour.
The
railways
are
thoroughly
conscious
of,
and
sympathetic
to,
the
problems
of
their,
employees
resulting
from
higher
costs
of
living.
Drastic,
unwarranted
reductions
in
hours
of
work
instead
of
decreasing
these
problems
will
inevitably
increase
them.
.
presidents
further
stateeff
".
.
.
the
general
public
Is
TnconvenTence3
an3
Fnsrnes?
arrangements
are
made
uncertain
so
long
as
the
likelihood
of
a
strike
persists.
Moreover,
a
railway
strike
would
so
cripple
our
economy
that
it
would
weaken
for
a
long
time
our
ability
to
take
a
strong
line
in
international
affairs
and
thus
give
great
comfort
to
the
enemy.
Therefore,
railway
management
feels
strongly
that
the
issues
must
be
faced
resolutely
so
that
all
interests,
the
worker,
the
public,
and
the
Government,
as
well
as
the
unions
and
railway
manage
nient,
will
know
precisely
what
is
facing
them.
The
time
has
come
to
remove
this
uncertainty
which
hangs
as
a
blight
over
our
day-to-day
life."
,
which
has
been
reported
by
the
unions,
but
railway
management
retains
too
high
an
opinion
of
the
loyalty,
steadfastness
and
sense
of
responsibility
of
their
employees
to
believe
a
strike
would
not
mean
a
heart-breaking
situation
for
them.
That
is
not
to
say
they
will
not
carry
out
their
undertaking
to
strike
if
union
leaders
decide
to
call
upon
them
to
do
so
but
as
already
stated,
it
will
cause
great
unhappiness
and
self-reproach."
The
importance
of
the
railways
in
Canada's
economy
cannot
be
exaggerated.
Never
was
that
importance
more
apparent
than
in
World
War
II.
And
without
the
loyalty
and
intense
effort
of
all
railway
employees,
Canada's
magnificent
war
effort
would
have
been
impossible.
The
same
holds
true
today.
As
the
Not
only
is
a
railway
strike
unnrrpwary
now,
lut
furthermore,
liecaui
e
of
the
tense
international
situation,
it
would
endanger
llie
entire
Dominion.
As
the
presidents
of
the
Canadian
National
and
Canadian
Pacific
Railways
said
in
a
joint
statement
to
the
reireentalieg
of
the
unions
last
Thursday:
"The
present
situation
.
.
.
imposes
a
nerve
strain
on
all
concerned
at
a
time
when
we
badly
need
to
devote
all
our
energies
and
thoughts
to
the
grave
threat
of
war
and
a
national
emergency
...
It
leaves
the
railway
employee
in
a
most
uncertain
and
unhappy
frame
of
mind
because
we
are
morally
certain
he
does
not
wish
to
walk
out
on
his
job
at
a
time
like
this,
no
matter
what
issues
are
involved
...
this
opinion
seems
diametrically
opposed
to
the
strike
ballot
WITH
THESE
CONSIDERATIONS
'
IN
MIND,
THE
RAILWAYS
HAVE
MADE
THIS
OFFER
AS
THE
ULTIMATE
THAT
COULD
POSSIBLY
BE
EXPECTED
OF
THEM.
AND
IT
GIVES
A
SETTLEMENT
WHICH
WILL
LEAVE
RAILWAY
WORKERS
IN
AN
EXTREMELY
FAVOURABLE
POSITION
COMPARED
TO
OTHER
INDUSTRIAL
WORKERS.
F
HERE
IS
OUR
OFFER
The
final
offer
which
excludes
hotel
and
water
transport
employees
is
as
follows:
(1)
Recognition
by
railway
management
of
a
moral
obligation
to
implement
the
40-hour
week
at
the
appropriate
lime.
(2)
Recognition
by
the
unions
in
principle,
subject
to
negotiation
in
detail,
of
minor
amendments
to
existing
contracts
covering
working
rules
to
bring
about
more
efficient
operation.
(3)
EITHER
(A)
A
44-hour
basic
work
week
with
a
9.1
increase
rn
hourly
rates
so
as
to
maintain
"take
home"
pay.
In
regard
to
monthly
rated
clerical
employees
there
will
be
an
understanding
that
a
5-day
actual
work
week
may
be
granted
by
local
arrangement
in
selected
cases
where
the
hours
now
actually
worked
are
less
than
44,
on
condition
that
the
requirements
of
the
service
are
protected
up
to
44
hours
per
week.
A
graduated
increase
in
basic
wage
rates
approximately
equivalent
in
expense
to
that
involved
under
Plan
A.
When
applied
to
all
employees,
this
would
$37,000,000
and
would
average
8
V
cents
per
cost
the
railways
per
year,
hour.
OR
(B)
CANADIAN
PACIFIC
RAILWAY
ONTARIO
NORTHLAND
RAILWAY
CANADIAN
NATIONAL
RAILWAYS
TORONTO,
HAMILTON
&
BUFFALO
RAILWAY