Republican farmer., 1918-09-06
RAILROAD WORKERS GET
 ANOTHER WAGE ADVANCE
Nearly 100000 Employees Affected in Order Issued
 By McAdoo Today. ADVANCE OF $25
 A MONTH TO ALL This Increase in Addition to Amount Fixed in Orders
 of January 1, Last.

J 100000 railroad employees, in cluding all clerks, track labor CTS and maintenance of way men. are to receive wage in- creases of S25 a month, the equivalent of $1 a day, or 12
 cents an hour, over the pay they received last January, un- der a wage order issued today by Director General McAdoo. Advances are effective as of Sept. 1.
 This order, affecting half the rail- road men in the United States and adding approximately $50, 900 to
 the annual payroll in calculations of 1 labor representatives, represents the | second largest aggregate wage in crease ever granted in American in- dustrial history. It is supplementary
 to the general railroad wage order issued nearly four months ago, pro-
 viding for about S3O0,o0o,Oo0 in-
 creases, anda for the classes of em- ployes affected it supplants provisions of that order.
 Most of the employees covered by the new order have made considerably i less than S100 a month, and the vol 1 untary increase was decided on by | the director general after investiga- | tion by his advisory board of railroad
 wages and working conditions of the 1 pay of men doing similar work in | other industries. In the main this | boards recommendations were fol- | lowed.
 l The order secified that eight hours
 is to be regarded as the basic day
 but overtime up to 10 hours is to be l paid pro rata, with # the regular
 rate for overtime past the 10 hours. | Specie rules are laid down for the
 promotion of employees on grounds of merit and seniority.
 | Other regulations forbidding dis missal of employees without cause, and providing for hearing on appeal resem- ble the rules now in effect under gov ernment civil service. These restric- 1 tions will affect mainly the half mill 1 lion railroad clerks.
 | Thousands of woman clerks em- | ployed by the railroads are to receive the same pay as men for similar work, but the interpretation of sim | liar work is left to the executives. l Back pay from Jan. 1 will be made under the former general wage order and the advances now granted will be l figured on top of the wage last Jan. 1 1, rather than on the pay received in l the immediate past under the wage | increase. Minimum rates of pay are esta blished foreall classes covered by i today's order, but the increases of S25 ! a month, applied if the employe worked on a monthly or weekly basis, 1 and of 13 cents an hour, applied if the employe worked by the hour, in many cases will run the actual new rate above the minimum.
 In no case are wages received under the general wage advance order to be decrea sed. Wages for new positions are to be in conformity with rates for similar kind of work.
 Promotions shall be based on abil- l ity, merit and seniority. Ability and merit being sufficient, seniority shall prevail This provision does not ap- l ply to personal office forces of super intendents, train masters, division en- gineers, master mechanics, general 1 freight or passenger agents and sim 1 liar offices, where the management is
 to be the judge of promotions. The order does not apply in cases where amounts of less than $30 a month are paid to individuals for
 special part time services. Employees assigned to higher rated positions are
 to receive the higher rates, but those !demoted temporarily are not to have their wages reduced When called to
 work outside of esta bhshed hours en1-
 ployes will be paid for a minimum all lowance of three hours.
 l An employe disciplined or who con-
 siders himself unjustly treated must
 be given a fair hearing by his imme- diate superior if he asks for this in
 writing within five days. A decision must be given within a week and the employe then may appeal to the next higher officer. In these proceedings he may be assisted by a committee of employees.
 Other similar rules governing dis missals Nr disputable treatment were
 esta blisAed as a means of giving cler- iicaI forces, most of which are not or ganized a measure of the protection already built up by unionized classes
 The new rates of pals are to be in
 corporated into existing contracts and future agreements, and differences of opinion between employees and rail- road arrangements are to be referred to the labor division of the railroad administration.