Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1916-03-01
Referendum Vote
CAUSING DISPUTE.
Railroads and Employees Not Agreed on
Meaning of Ballot on Broth
erhO0d Demands.
COUNT Is TO BEGIN MARCH
-Four Hundred Thousand Workers on
52S Lines Taking Part in Fore
ing New Conditions.
(By Associated Press.

SnlCdSO, March line railroads
and the employees do not agree as to
the meaning of the referendum vote
taken by members of the four great
brotherhOOdS on all the railroads of
the United States representing close to
100000 employees on 52S lines. These
organizations are the Brotherhood of
Locomotive Engineers, the Brother
hood of Locomotive Firemen and En-
CINE men and the Brotherhood of Rail
road Trainmen and the Order of Rail
way Conductors. The referendum in
structs the officials of the brotherhoods
to enter into negotiations with the
roads representatives, provided the re-
suit of the vote is favorable.
The brotherhoods announce that the
question is that of the eight hour day
and time and half for overtime, sim
liar to conditions which prevail in
many other lines of industry
The railroads say that the issue does
not mean the coming of an eight-hour
working day, as contended by the en-
ployes, but rather an increase of 25
per cent over present wages for the
same amount of work, and an increase
in many cases of S712 per cent for over
time as compared with present rates
The demands pertain only to freight
and not to passenger service.
The propositions on which the men
I:vriI VI,
cles. The first pertained to road SER
vice and provided that 100 miles or less,
or eight hours or less shall constitute
day, with overtime beginning at the
expiration of eight hours on runs Of
less than 100 miles. and as soon as 100
miles have been run on longer trips,
overtime to be computed at one and
one-half times the pro rata rate, no
ceive for minimum4day. The second
article referred to yard and switching
service, the minimum for eight hours
a day to be not less than now paid for
! 10 hours a day, all over eight hours in
any "a hours to be paid for at time
and a half rates. Article three pro-
vided that eight hours or less at the
present pay for 10 hours will con-
stitute a day for 'hostlers,' the man
who prepare locomotive for runs and
care for them at terminals The final
article guaranteed the employees the
right to retain any rates of pay or
schedules in effect Jan. l, 1916, which
| are preferable to the new schedule.
Railroads View Given.
| The railroads prepared a statement
of their view of the situation in which
they said: ITO allow the increase
would add s100,000,000 a year to the
! opere ting expenses of all the roads OF
the United States for the benefit OF
men whose average pay day was in
creased from 80 to AZ per cent from
| 1903 to 1914, while the wages of the
western engineers were further in
creased in 1916
- The roads further contended that the
men made no allowance for the differ
! ence between railroad and industrial
service They pointed out that the
railroad engineman or trainman is
guaranteed payment for full day nc
matter how few hours he works and
receives pay for more than a full day
if he works more than either the es-
tablished miles or hours. In most lines
of industry. the railroads hold, the en-
( nlnVa docs
less than days work and ordinarily
he cannot earn more than a days pay
without working more than the regu-
lar number of hours. Further the
roads contended that terminals are To-
| Gated generally so the distance be-
tween them can be made in approx
mately 10 hours, and that therefore
the running time can't be reduced tC
conform to the demands without re-
ducing the tonnage of trains and there
by depriving the roads of efficiency il
operation, or by building new termi-
nails at enormous expense. 1t also was
claimed that there have arisen no new
conditions demanding larger rates o.
by arbitration under federal laws.
Position of Unions.
The unions formally denied the argu
ments of the roads and in explaining
the reasons and motives for their de
mand said:
THE eight-hour day movement il
based wholly upon the justice OF ;
work day of reasonable hours that vii
permit the men further to separate tn,
dead line between work and wages
The railroads say in effect that mel
who have put in a few years of rail
road service have worked themselve
out and will not be accepted if the,
lose their positions. If men are work
ed outin few years under presen
service conditions, the demand to ex
tend their wage earning years is full,
justified.
Overtime in road service is due al
most wholly TO the practice of rail
roads overlooking trains so that the
cannot make their mileage within thei
time limits The railroads are doini
this for profit; they do not deny it, an
. il they propose to demand extra servic
at the sacrifice of the health and futur
earning ability of the men they SHOULD
pay extra for it. The payment of over
time applies with particular force L
yards where the companies can regu
late their work so that no oyertim