Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1917-02-23
ASK NEW HIGH RATE
FOR HOURS LABOR
Employees of Street Railway
Companies Submit Memo
randum of Agreement.
REQUEST FOR CONFERENCE


officers of the street railway EN-
pioyee' union of Washington today SUD-
mitted to officials of the Washington
Railway and Electric Company and the
Capital Traction Company a memo
randum of an agreement which they
ask the officials to consider with them
in conference at an early date
Last year the agreement followins
the street railway strike resulted III
the employees. organized as .Vlsloh
ton of Street and Electric Railway
Employees of America, getting an IN
crease of cents an hour. Before ina 1
agreement the high rate was 70 cents
an hour, and the men struck In an Ell
fort to get a. fat rate CT 50 cents
With the high rate now at II cents the
men seek a rate OF 35 cents an hour, and
ask a number Of other CONCESSIONS prln-
cipally in connection with working hours'
Are Practically Identical.
The terms submitted to Clarence P. King.
president of the Washington Railway and
Electric Company, and to ]. H Hanna
manager of the Capital Traction Com
pany, by G. A. Wilbert, president or the
association. are practically identical. with
the exception OF one section relating to
employees in substations, and to the oono-
ing of notormen and conductors:
The men seek to have the bonding
nractice discontinued by the Washing
ton Railway and Electric Company anu
they ask an eight-hour day 1or the SUP
station employees of the Capltai irac-
tion Company.
The section dealing with schedules
seeks to make ten hours the basis for
a days work, with the following pro-
visions:
Seyenty-flve per cent of any schedule
shall be straight runs, equally diV1ded
between early and late straight runs. :.
Twenty per cent may be Swing runs
that is, runs interrupted by laying
Off during the less busy hours, that
complete the days work in twelve con-
secutive hours.
The remaining per cent may pe
swing, runs to complete the days
work In fourteen consecutive hours.
Rule for Posting Runs.
n is further provided the runs shall
be posted five days before going into
effect, and that motormen and con-
ductors shall select runs in accordance
with their seniority in service of the
companies.
Section Z provides that "All runs
making nine hours and less than ten
hours shall pay ten hours time. Sll
runs making nye hours ana less tnah
nine hours shall pay nine hours time
No trfpper or movement OF. cars shall
nav less than IS cents. A "trfpper' is
a car that makes only ono or two runs
during a busy period.
In providing for settlements of fur
ther disputes the employees propose
that the officers of the company shall
first meet with the officers of the asso-
citation. and if the differences cannot be
amicably adjusted they shall be sub
mitted to temporary board OF arbf-
tration, to be made up of an arbitrator
chosen by the company, another chosen
by the association and third Dy the
first two arbitrators.
Members suspended or expelled from
the association, upon request to the
companies by officers of the associa-
ton, are to be suspended or dismissed.
Members elected or appointed to office
in the association are to be granted
leaves OF absence for such work with
out loss of seniority rights. Employees
discharged or suspended are to be re-
instated and paid for the time away
from work if investigation shows that
their Suspension or discharge was not
warranted.
Provision for Straight Time"
Section s provides that "All runs that
swing for one hour and thirty minutes
or less shall be paid straight time. All
runs that swing more than one hour
and thirty minutes shall pay IS cents
in addition to schedule time. and any
overtime on such runs shall be paid for
at the rates provided in this agree
ment in addition to this 35-cent bonus" "
When motormen or conductors are
held over for extra work they are to
toll, iypa 3y,n
they complete their regular days work
until relieved Of extra duty. They are
TO be paid from the time they report
| for extra duty. Motormen and con-
| ductors holding runs that do not ap-
| pear on Sunday or holiday schedules
| shall not be required to report on those
days except In extreme cases.
| Motormen and conductors must have
twenty minutes 20 eat their meais.
Agreement Effective March II.
| The men seek assurance from the
! companies that enough men shall be
kept on the extra list to insure regular
men against extra duty upon ordinary
occasions. Extra men, reporting for
extra work, are to be paid full time for
the first hour and half time for the re-
naming time OF the report; March II
| is the time set at which the 35 cents
| uer hour scale goes into effect. On
Sunday and legal holidays motormen
and conductors shall be paid cents
per hour in addition to their weekday
| wage rate.
| Men are to be allowed thirty minutes
to make out any report except deten-
| ton reports Conductors are TO be al
| lowed twenty minutes for making up
their manifests and turning in receipts
| When a regular man is required to at
| tend court or inquest or to look for evil
denc. he is TO be paid for time lost at
his regular rate. For snow sweeper and
/, snow plow work employees are to re-
! ceiye 40 cents per hour and an allow
,pcs of 80 cents for each meal The
practice of suspension of employees for
| minor effenses is to be discontinued.
| Employees other than motormcn and
Conductors are to receive an increase
/ NJ wages at the rate of 10 cents per
hour over their present scale. The pit
mems day is to be ten hours.