New-York tribune., 1918-06-24
Wage Adjustment Board
Grants Most of Mems
Demands
Strike Danger Averted
New Agreement to Continue
in Effect Until May
81, 1919

The grievances oil the tldeNater oode-
men, lightermen, ferry hands and hoist
ing engineers, which for nearly year
have intcrmittcntly threatened gen
cral paralysis of shipping in the port
of New York, have finally been dis
posed Of by an award Of the New York
Wage Adjustment Board of the United
States Shipping Board. BY the terms
of the award al classes OF employees re-
cevc substantial increases IN pay,
ranging from 10 per cent in some cases
TO more than so in others.
The working hours and conditions are
also improved and the demand of the
boatmen and lighter captains for pay
for night work other than the opera
ton OF their craft, one of the main
causes Of friction, granted.
The terms Of the award have been
workers and the employers, who have
agreed that for the period Of the war
there shall be no cessation Of work for
any cause.
Terms of New Contract
BY the terms of the new contract
employers and representatives o. the
men employed in connection with all
sorts of harbor craft "agree with the
United States Shipping Board that dur
ing the period Of the war we will sub
nit all differences concerning wages or
conditions of labor involved in the
operation of such marine equipment
which cannot first be adjusted by the
employers and the employees to the de-
cision of a government board Of three
men, to be appointed as follows: One
by the United States Shipping Board,
one by the Department of Commerce
and one by the Department of Labor.
"This government board shall have no
authority to pass upon the question of
open or closed shop or the recognition
Of unions, but there shall be no dis
elimination of any kind against union
men, and the board shall have power
to determine questions Of discrimna
ton, and pending the decision of said
board work shall continue uninter-
ruptedly."
BY the wage award signed by Major
ing the United States Shipping Board;
g. Il. Putnam, of the Department of
Commerce; B. NJ. Squires, of the De-
partmcut of Labor; William Simmons,
representing boat owners, and I. v.
O'Connor, international president of
the gshoremen's Association, repre-
senting the men, the increased wages
date back to June l and will continue
in effect until May 81, 1919, unless in
the meantime the board should be of
the opinion that changed conditions
warrant amendment Of its terms.
Tidcvater Men Get Big Increase
The largest increase iii wages is
given to the tidcwater boatmen, who
receive $85 a month and 81 per night
for working on their boats in connec
tion with loading or unloading cargo,
or alongside any vessel or in a coal
port. The award of last November,
which the men declared void after the
vessel owners had failed 10 comply
with its terms, gave them only $50 a
month and made no provision for night
work in port. Previously they had
been paid as little as $40 month.
1t was in support Of the demands of
these men who operate all of the coal
barges plying from Norfolk to Port
land, as we'll as grain, cement. ice and
other types Of scows. that last winter
threatened to force strike of the
10000 longshoremen employed in and
about New York Harbor.
The lightermen and those employed
on covered barges are to receive day
rates of from $3.50 to s4.00 day, de-
pending on the size of their equipment,
and twelve hour working day, where
shorter hours did not prevail before,
is established. The six-day week is
also put into effect, and work at night
watching or while being towed is to
be paid for at the rate of S1.5O night
Other work in excess of the regulation
day and Sunday work is to be paid for
at the rate of time and one half.
The stationary hosting engineers get
from $4.25 to SIS for a ten-hour day,
the six-day week and time and one
half for overtime. The wages of ferry
wheelmen are fixed at sos a month,
deck hands at $s5. licensed oilers $1oO
a month, unlicensed oilers and firemen
sos month. All of them are to have
one day off a week and one weeks
vacation with pay a year.
Employees aboard tug boats, other
than engineers, receive from s75 to $50
q month and sustenapce, twelve hour
day. the six-day week and weeks
vacation each year.