The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1918-09-05
MILLION men
AFFECTED BY
U.S.. RAILROAD
WAGE RAISE
Is Second Largest Wage In
crease Granted in American
Industrial History - Half
Railroad Men Affected.
INVOLVE s15o,ooo,0oo
<By Associated Press)

WARRINGTON Sept 5-Nearly a
million railroad employees including all
clerks track 1aborers and mainte-
nance of way men are to receive wage
increases of $25 a month, the equiva-
lent of one dollar day or IL cents an
hour. over the pay they received last
January l, under a wage order issued
by Director General McAdoo. Ad-
vances are effective as of Sept l. This
order, affecting half the railroad men
in the United States and adding ap-
proximately s15O,000,00 to the annual
! payroll In calculation of labor repre-
sentatives represents the second larg-
est aggregate wage increase ever
granted in American industrial histo-
ry. 1t is supplementary to the general
railroad wage order issued nearly four
months ago, providing for $500, 100000
| increases, and for the classes Of en-
ployes affected, 1t supplants provisions
of that order
Most of the employees covered by
the new order have made consider
/ ably less than 500 a month, and the
voluntary increase was decided on By
the director general after investiga-
tion by his advisory board of railroad
wages and working conditions of the
pay OF men doing similar work in
other industries. In the main, this
boards recommendations were fol-
lowed.
The order specified that eight hours
is to be considered the basic day, but
overtime up to ten hours is to be paid
pro rata, with one and one half the
regular rate for overtime past the ten
hours. Specific rules are laid down
for the promotion Of employees on
grounds OF merit and seniority Other
regulations forbidding dismissal of en-
ployes without cause, and providing for
hearing on appeal, resemble the rules
now in effect under government civil
service. These restrictions will affect
mainly the half million railway clerks
Women Clerks Get Increase.
Thousands of women clerks en-
ployed by the railroads are to receive
the same pay as men for similar work,
but the Interpretation of similar
work. is left to executives.
Back pay from January / will be
made under the former general wage
order. and the advances now granted
will be figured on top of the wage
received in the immediate past upder
the general wage increase. Minimum
rates of pay are established for all
classes covered by to-day's order, but
the increases of $25 month, applied
if the employees worked a monthly or
weekly basis and of II cents an hour.
applied if the employe worked by the
hour, in many cases will run the ac-
tual new rate above the minimum
Glasses sharing in the increases,
with the new minimum rate for each
class are as follows:
Track laborers. % cents an hour,
with maximum of 40 cents an hour
Those doing clerical work of any de-
scrfption, train announcers, gatemen,
checkers, baggage and parcel room
employees, train and engine crew call
ers, operators Of office and station
equipment devices, excepting teIeg-
raphers whose application for wage
increases is under consideration, to-
gether with chief clerks, foremen and
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