The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1898-12-14
GRAND TRUNK TELEeRApAERs.
Their Grievances and Negotiations
With Manager Hays.


the word s'strike' has been banded about
in connection with the teiegraphers Oh
the Grand Trunk Railway system, COIL
mittee representing that body nasi"s
been in Montreal for some two mohUn''
This com mittee is composed OF olahu
Trunk employees, members OF tne o1oei
of Railway Telegraph rs.
1t appears that the continues n"s
reached the limit of negotiation Win Uho
Grand Trunk management Whlch 40 0p-
nesrs too has refused to admit that the
committee properly represents It's en-
Moves. The committed, theref re. is now
in consultation with Mr.. W. v. Powell
Grand Chief of the Order of Railway
Tslsgrapbers. who reached Montreal yes
terday m ,rning; and it's ture line of
conduct may we'll be watched with greater
interest than the presence in Montreal OF
its members has hitherto created. Mr..
Powell Is opposed to strikes, and hopes to
settle the matter without resource to
one. The Montreal Star then gives two
co umn resume of the legraphers
grievances and says: One of the commit
tee men is authority for the following
statement of the duties required OF teie-
grapher in the employ of the Grand Trunk
company at it's smaller stations: Inc
op rator is not only in charge of the tele-
graph instr Inent, but he is the agent OF
the company, sells tickets, checks bag
gage receives and dispatches telegraph
messages, including train orders ana
train report, receives, delivers and
handlers way freight. receives and de-
nvers express and mail. In addition to-
these duties he is also compelled to keep
the station house in proper order, oles
and scrub the floors, sweep out the ONCE
and waiting room, clean and wash the
windows, put up and take down stoves.
split, cut and carry wood, carry coal, at
tand to the tires, shovel the snow from the
platform in winter, look after and keep
clean the outbuildings, clean and disin-
feet eight and cattle cars, attend to tn
platform lights. light and attend to tbs
switch Temps and those of the semaphores.
which are hall mile on either side Of the
station. He also has to carry the mail
bags to and from the post office. This is
often serious undertaking. One of the
members of the committee statsd that he
was compelled to carry mail bags half a
mile from the station to the post office
eight times day. This means that ne
would cover in the performance Of this
duty alone eight miles day. The
operator is required to be on duty at six
t. ~ 10 1f,If
in the Office and waiting room, in order
to make the place habitable by seven
O'Clock, when he has to despatch his
weather and car bulletin. He is on duty
continuously from that time until II p
m, with an hour for dinner. In many
the operator has to remain until long
after midnight He is also liable to ba
called at any time during the night for
special duty, and at periods when bust
ness is heavy compelled fer weeksat
time to do extra work for which he re-
ceives no extra remuneration whatever.
He gets no holidays, and works Saturday
and Sunday alike. For discharge of tLese
duties the average operator receives a
salary of Ss2 per month. The committee
claims that at one time they were In
much better position. Their hours were
no shorter, but they had two weeks holi.
days every year, under pay. They had
also at all the larger stations where there
were large number of trains each day,
a night and a day operator. There was
also a sw itchman who attended to and
lighted the switch and ssmaphore lights.
moved and delivered way freight. at
tended to the fires and the shoveIling of
mental duties about the station house.
This helper also carried the mail, and
where there was no helper at the smaller
stations, an outsider was paid to deliver
the mail. Latterly, the night operators
and the switchmen were let go except at
the more important stations. and the Gay
man is compelled to discharge the Quite S
before performed by three men. He has
to do all this along with any extra work
he may be called upon 20 perform without
any increase in salary and Without his
previously granted yearly holiday of TWO
weeks
The committee has prepared schedule
showing the rate of enumeration paid by
the company to the various employees on
the road, in order to show the PROPORTIONS
ate remuneration which they receiv as
compared with other employees. Accord
Ing to this schedule engine drivers receive
b. 90 pei day of eight hours and twenty
uve cents an hour for all overtime; fire.
meu 81 OF per day of eight hours, and
Hfteen cents per hour overtime; passenger
conductors, 81. so and s.. 80 per day of ten
hours and ~ cents per hour overtime;
freight conductors from $3.50 to $s.l5 per
day of ten hours. and 70 cents per hour
overtime; baggagemen from SI.70 to ST. 80
per day of ten hours; brakemen, Si.20
per day for the first eighteen months of
service. and Sl.60 per day OF ten hours
thereafter. and pay for overtime; car
tappers from IA to 16 cents per hour with
DIE "H<6