The labor world. [volume] (Duluth, Minn.) 1896-current, 1914-08-01
ENGlfl EMEfllf REFUSE !:
!! ARBITRATION OFFER
CsrAnued On sPAee O.!

= -. .So.o.-I.E<a e = .oe %
TO deliberately .misa pply .Arbttratio1s:
Awards, ,say " Mr.; Garter. There
should be, some authoritative repre-
sentative; .of- the. Federal Government
TO insist that an award be applied on
alb railroads concerned, as interpreted
by the .arbitrators,> and so long as
railroad officials are. permitted TO place
their Interpretation on such awards;
and to- apply awards to. suit them
selves, and thus defeat the .real Rur-
pose; Of arbitration, the public should
not Insist that: the engineers firei1fen:
and host1ers submit the present wage
controversy to, arHtration.': M Car,
ter further states that while the ar
bitration OF the firen1en and hostlers,
wage dispute on Eastern railroads IN:
1913. resulted In an award: not: en-:
tirely unsatisfactory to a majority Of
the men, the: manner of applying. that
award has made radical opponents Of
of M ore than: $4,000. men
who voted in. favor of arbitrating the
Eastern2wage: dispute. of firemen and.
hostlers." =. =
r. ST. L, & ". CASE. :: =,
a.. He asserts that after the signing
Of an agreement to arbitrate ali, mat
tiers in dispute. which form Of ar
filtration was prepared by the repre-
sentativea Of. !. the: Federal Govern ;
ment, and after the arbitration hear-
ings had commenced, the, Toledo, st.
Louis and Western: Railroad manage
ment served notice, that is would not
be- bound by arbitration and desired
to- withdraw, .therefrom. !. The Federal
Board of Arbitration. took this matter
under consideration and officially de-
cided, which decision was made a part
OF the record, that the Toledo, st.
Louis and Western railroad could not
legally Withdraw from the arbitration
at that late date Mr.. Carter asserts
that the Toledo, St. Louis and: West
ern railroad. has. never applied any
portion Of the award and that in this
PARTICULAR case the federal authority
TO- whom:the matter was referred, de-
cided that the: observation of an Ar
bitration Award under. the. present,
Federal Law is' simply a moral obli-
cation: :Of what effect is a moral
obligation@er railroad corporation ?"
exclaimed MF.i Carter. He says that
other railroads that Joined in the east
ern arbitration Of 1913, through the
activity of. the managers committee,
have succeeded in evading payment
of:wages and. application OF working
conditions secured by that Arbitration
Award. THE names of 'hostlers'
have ; been changed to ':'watchmen,'
'foremen,' etc, by some railroads for
the express purpose Of avoiding pay
ment of the wages fixed by an award
Tor .hostlers. In, one instance a. Phil
adelphia and Reading official dis
charged*a hostler because he demand.
ed that: he paid the compensation
fixed by the award, and officials Of
that railroad compelled firemen, to
continue; cleaning engines for months
after the award became effective, un-
der penalty Of dismissal, although the
award specifically relieved firenaen of
that. work. H..
When the award was made public,
differences Of. opinion as to the intent
OF, certain. portions. of same immedi-:
ately arose, TIL e .Firemer and: Host
lers committee, being willing to have
the, matter adjusted .equitably, pro-
posed to- the Managers committee
that disputed points be referred back
to- the Board of Arbitration to inter-
pref their own language; but the,
Managers committee insisted that
the local. committee on each road
should take. up with the. MANAGEMENT
Of such road the Interpretation and
application of the award The Man
ager' committee then insisted that
specific instances, wherein the men
complained that the award was not
being properly applied; be prepared
and presented to. the Managers, com
m1ttee, when the matter: would then
be adjusted. This was done and still
there was no disposition to permit the
Board. of Arbitration to interpret its
own awards. Nearly six months after
the award became effective: with con-
sent Of the Managers committee, the
Board; Of. Arbitration again met: and
decided points in dispute. And then
the intent of the Interpretation of the
award was disputed, and 80 the matter
has been prolonged until we find the
contention still engaging the attention
OF committees and Representatives of
labor ORGANIZATIONS long after the
award has expired, and. the award not
yet applied. in many instnces.' 49,.
..