The enterprise. [volume] (Harlem, Mont.) 1899-1926, 1916-02-17
ANOTHER MOVEMENT
FOR HIGHER WAGES

| of Locomotive Firemen and Engi-
neers, the Order of Railway Conduc-
tors and the Brotherhood of Rail-
road trainmen, have combined in a
nation wide movement for a general
advance in wages for their members
and other employees of the same
classes, OH all the railways of the
United States and some of those in
Canada including 100000 miles of
line.
The movement involves about
800, 900 men. According to the sta
tistics of the Interstate Commerce
Commission there were employed in
the United States in 1914, 61,365
engineers. 64,335 firemen, 47.621
conductors and 1888 trainmen.
The average wages per day of these
employees in 1914 showed the fol-
lowing increases over those paid in
1909 Engineers, 80 per cent; con-
ductors, 80 per cent; firemen, Al
per cent
1t is estimated by the railroads
that the additional increases in wag-
es these organiza tons have announ
aed their intention Of demanding
would amount approximately to
100, 100000 q wear. As the total
navror in 1914 iaf the classes of
EMPLOYEES involved was $500, 900,
600 this is an increase of about -
rer cent. The railroads believe
that these demands are not only IN
reasona Bile. bur OF such magnitude
that they cannot even be considered
with the present level of railway
passenger and fire &ht rates.
| ~ % i,rn !, nrN NnIc Ioyn
been quoted as saying that they will
refuse to submit their demands to
arbitration and that unless them
crease is granted a general strike
Of the enginemen and trainmen will
be called. This movement is OF ire
mendous importance to both the
railways and public. The question
presented is not one that concerns
only the employees and the rail-
ways for any large advance in rail
way wages. in addition to the large
increases that have been made in re-
cent years, would have to be borne
by the public; and II is needless to
point out the disastrous effect on
the public that would be produced
| by a strike which would tie up all
the railroads OF the country and the
commerce Of the entire nation. This
would be the first strike that ever
tied up anywhere near all the rail
ways Of the United States. 1t would
be without a precedent in history
except in the case of the strike q
few years ago on all the railways in
France where the mileage is not
one-tenth what it is here.
AS the interest OF the public is Sc
large the railroads believe not ONLY
! that they are justified in presenting
| an explanation to the public of some
of the more important points N
I volved, but that it is their duty t.
4 do so.
The proposed demands were for
= mulated by committees representa-:
y the eastern, southern and western
associations of the four brother
i hoods at a meeting held in Chicago
y in December, and their terms hay
+ been embodied in a letter ballot sen
y out to the employees under date o
g January 10, to give power Of attor
/ new to the chief executives and com
G mittees OF the brotherhoods to ne
o gotiate with the officers of the rail
: WAYS for "a favorable settlement.
e Their proposition has usual
d been referred to by the officers 0
e the labor organizations as one 70
o an EIGHT hour day" A real eight
hour day has been established i
some branches Of industry, and tn
d public, unless correctly informed
l. will naturally assume that the raj
o way employees are asking for tn
J. anne thing: that they all now wor
r ten hours for days pay, and wan
IS to work only eight hours. If thi
d assumption were correct perhar
l. the same arguments could be pre-
ID scented for an eight-hour day i
l. railway train service that are pre-
t. sented for an eight-hour day in otl
20 err kinds of industry The propose
e, eight-hour basis of payment in raj
c. way service, and the eight-hour da
as commonly understood, are tw
lg very different things. This fact an
the reasons for it must be made Ell
lg Tirely clear to the public before
Or will be able to understand the funt
~ amental aspects Of the controvers
- In factory or in many othe
y. kinds of work the employers decid
IN that eight or nine or ten hou
* shall constitute a day, and wo1
- may be stopped at the expiration
that period. In railway service {
the other hand, the working day
Il governed in road service by IL
length OF the time required to ri
It. a train from one terminal to a
ne other, and in yard and hoisting Sc
al vice by the volume and charact
Of the business to be handled in
IL day. AS neither Of these factors
ne affected by the rates of pay, and
n the employees only purpose
n change the rates of pay. it is evide
=. that they do not expect to work al
le shorter hours.
y, ~ Instead of providing for an eigl
~. a. hour day the rules which the lab
10 organizations propose would sill
s, ply increase the wages paid for t
W same amount of work, and the QUE
~ ton resolves intself into the sing
a. issue as to whether or not the hig
est-paid classes of railroad emple