The Switchmen's Dilemma: A Fight for the Eight-Hour Day
Mayor D.W. Lawler details why railroad workers are rejecting mandatory arbitration under the Erdman Act, arguing it strips them of their power to strike while leaving them trapped in unfair conditions.
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Mayor Daniel W. Lawler, acting as counsel for the switchmen, addressed the public regarding the ongoing railroad labor controversy. He argued that the railroad managers' committee is using the media to frame the switchmen's refusal to arbitrate under the Erdman Act as unfair. Lawler explained that the Erdman Act is a 'one-sided proposition' that would trap switchmen for one to two years under existing, grueling conditions while prohibiting them from striking. He emphasized that the workers are not refusing arbitration in principle, but refusing to commit 'suicide' under a law that favors corporate delay tactics. The switchmen are demanding a shorter workday, one day of rest in seven, and wages commensurate with their skilled labor. Local switchmen remain unified in their strike, undeterred by company efforts to import strikebreakers.
“The moment the public understands that the switchmen have not refused arbitration but have refused arbitration under the Erdman act and have refused to commit suicide, the attempt of the managers' committee to enlist public opinion against the switchmen will fail.”
This 1909 struggle over arbitration and the 'right to strike' highlights a century-old tension between corporate management and labor. The arguments about 'essential services' and the economic necessity of workers persist in modern labor negotiations, proving that the struggle for a reasonable work-life balance is a recurring theme in Washington’s industrial history.
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