The Birmingham age-herald., 1916-08-20
NEW SCALE EOF WAGES AND RECOGNITION OF UNION IS DEMANDED Employees of Street Railway Company Present Tenta-
 tive Proposition PRESIDENT PEVEAR
 TO MEET COMMITTEE A Work Day of Ten Hours With Time and One Half for Overtime
 Among the Proposi-
 tions Made

ANiUItS LIc IOpUSt-
 tions Made
 President J. S. Pevear of the Birrning- ham Railway, Light and Power company was presented with a tentative proposi- tion from the Amalgamated Association of Street and Electric Railway Elm ployes of America, division 725 of Bir- mingham, at 5 o'clock yesterday after noon. President Pevear declined to make a statement of any kind relative to the proposition late last night. However, he promised to hold a conference with the committee at 2:SO Monday afternoon.
 The committee, headed by R. P. Bern hardt, president of the local division, iaid before the head of the Birmingham Rail- way, Light and Power company a con tract drawn up by that organization, and outlining the grievances of the men, and asking that the company recognize the organization and rearrange the scale of wages and the hours of work.
 Section of the contract sets forth the new scale of wages the men have asked for. For the first years service they ask that the men be paid at a rate of 22 cents an hour, second year "A cents, third year 25 cents, fourth year z6 cents, fifth year 27 cents, sixth year 2S cents, seventh year 29 cents, and the eighth year and thereafter they are to receive 30 cents an hour. It is further set forth that 10 hours shall constitute a day s work. for motormen and conductors, and shall be completed within Is consecutive hours, and that all work in excess of 10 hours a day shall be paid for at the rate of time and one-half time.
 SCHEDULE REARRANGED
 Further on in the same section there Is a clause stating that in rearrangIng the schedule in the future no regular run shall be less than nine hours and 30 min- utes, and the company is asked to agree that all runs shall be straight runs as near as practicable. In addition the com pany is asked to pay in addition to the foregoing rate and scale of wages an additional cents an hour where only one man is employed on a car.
 The present scale of wages that the men are working under, starts new man at IS cents an hour and gives him an increase of 1-cent a year after the first year until his wages are 26 cents an hour. The increase asked for by the association shows an even increase of cents an hour
 Regarding the repairmen and shop hands, the company is asked to grant a 20 per cent increase in addition to the wages being paid at present and that 10 hours shall constitute a days work and that all work in excess of 10 hours shall be paid for at rate of time and one-half time
 The contract which the organization has asked the company to sign Is rather lengthy, embracing 14 sections, and GOV ering every phase of the organization and the work of the men, as well as the actions of the company.
 Section 10 of the contract deviates from the wage scale given in section 3, in that it states that all new employees shall be on probation for 90 days. It is under stood by this section that such new em- ployes will not come under the terms of the agreement during the 90-day period, but after that time they will be allowed to make application for membership in the organization, and if accepted will Re allowed the full privilege of the associa- tion. In the event the new employe fails to make application after the period is expired he will be dimissed from the em- ploy of the company.
 CONTRACT BINDING
 If signed by President Pevear, the con tract will be binding on both the com 
 two years. beginning September 1, 19l6 and ending August 31, 1918, and at the expiration of that time, the agreement reads that renewal of the contract be made for an additional two years upon such conditions as may be mutually agreed upons between the company and the representatives of the employees. In the event the parties to the contract should fail to agree at that time the l@ar fn hoe orI of arbitrators.
 The matter of settling any differ ence between the men and the com pany is provided for in Section of the proposed contract that provides for all questions where the company and the men cannot come to an agreement to be submitted to a board of arbitra- tors for settlement. The board is to consist of three men, one being chosen by the company and one by the asso- citation, while the two together decide upon the third man. The ruling of the board Is to be binding on both sides.
 This section of the contract, 1t is thought, will tend to prevent any trouble between the company and the men in settling any matter that may come up. This board is also to act as judge in the matters of suspension or reinstatement or any emplOye, ana VIII be required to take into consideration that the company is public service corporation, and that the safety and good will of the general public are of primary importance.
 FREE TRANSPORTATION
 Section of the proposed contract provides that all employees who are, or who may become members of the
 ,rny,, hnrr tv, good standing in accordance with the laws of the association. and in the event they fail to comply with this section they are to be dismissed.
 The only other noteworthy section of the proposed contract regarding the expectations from the company is brought out in Section 6, which asked that all motormen, conductors and re- pairmen be given pass for free trans portation on all lines. Section pro- yi6es for the officers of the associa- ton. It is to be agreed in this section that any employe of the company who may be elected to an office in the asso- citation be granted leave of one year. and at the end of this time be rein stated in his former position with his rank of seniority.
 The committee who placed the pro- posed contract before the president of the company stated last night that they were pleasantly received and that every courtesy reasonable was granted them by President Pevear. He ac-