Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1919-10-17
ARSENAL BODY
FORCES AHEAD
With COUNCIL
Employees of Government Cooper.
ating to Make New Plan on
Island Successful One

The newly established central
council established at the Rock Is
land arsenal, is progressing very
satisfactorily TO all parties con-
cerned, up to the present time.
The Tri-City Labor Review says:
THE plan is an experiment by
the government in order to estab-
lish definitely, organized means Of
communication and conference be-
tween the management and the en-
ployes of the Rock Island arsenal
The outline Of the plan is as fol-
lows:
THE basis Of organization con-
sists Of a central council composed
of three employees from each de-
partment. These representatives
are elected annually by a direct
vote of the employees Of their de-
partment. The plan provides for a
recall of any representative who
may become unsatisfactory to the
employees or his department by
petition signed by not less than
one-third of the employees Of the
department, after which an cleo
ton shall be held at which time
the majority decides whether such
representative shall be recalled or
continued in Office.
"a Joint conference board is pro-
Vided for, which consists of four
members of the council who shall
meet with the commanding officer
and four officials appointed by the
commanding officer, as representa-
tives of the management These
men with the commanding officer
as chairman will be called joint
conference committee.
Regular specified meetings are
held at which time matters OF gen.
eral interest are taken up and dis
cussed. Under the rules Of the CEN
trail council, department, commit
tees are first expected to take up
department matters with the civil
ian in charge. Should decision not
be in the power of the civilian in
charge, the matter shall be pre-
scented to the standing committee
having Jurisdiction. If after inves-
LEGATION and full hearing before the
Joint standing committee, no dect-
sion is reached, the case shall go
with full written record to the
Joint conference committee. Moth
ing, however, in the procedure is
to be understood as limiting the
right OF an employee or group OF
employees to present any matter to
the central council directly or to
the commanding officer or his rep
resentatives but it is suggested that
this right shall be exercised only
under exceptional circumstances.
Under the plan of the central
council, the following standing
committees are appointed which
have Jurisdiction over the particu-
lar matters as specified in the plan
adopted. The joint conference
committee, arsenal orders commit
tee, production committee, employ
ment committee. rates OF pay COM
mittee, promotion and discharges
committee, working conditions
committee. recreation committee.
shop discipline committee, safety
and sanitation committee, instruc-
ton committee, inventions commit
tee, statistics committee. Each of
these committees are composed OF
two employees and two representa-
tives of the government, each. The
plan is being watched with much
interest by employers in this vicin-
ity and by members Of organized
labor and II proven successful will
no doubt be adopted IN several
large institutions in this vicinity.