The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1916-1920, 1919-08-18
FIREMEN WANT
50 TO 65 P. G.
WAGE RAISE
Roads Also Required to Pro-
vide New Locomotive
Equipment.
WOULD COST S2OO,OOO,OOO
Overtime Rates Also Are Fixed
by 800 Brotherhood
Chairmen.

CLEVELAND, Aug IA 35 to 65 per
cent. increase in wages is demanded
:or 117,000 firemen and ostlers on rail-
roads in the United States and Canada
in a wage scale adopted before ad-
journment to-day by 800 general
chairmen OF the Brotherhood of Lo-
connective Ffrcmcn and Ens;ncmcn in
session here since Tuesday.
Another demand to be presented to
the Director General of Railroads is
that all coal burning locomotives in
road service weighing 100000 pounds
and over shall be equipped with me-
chanical stokers and that two fremen
shall be employed on all such locomo-
tives until they are so equipped.
About half of the 10000 engines in
the United States will come under this
proposal, only about 5000 of which
are equipped with mechanical stokers
at present.
In. accepting the report of the wage
committee, appointed at the opening
session last Tuesday and which only
completed and presented its report Sat
urday morning. discussion of which took
up yesterdays and to-d1y's conferences
some notifications were made. but the
report was adopted in the main part
Wage Demands Detailed.
The more important sections of the
report follow:
Rates of pay for firemen and helpers
in passenger service, $3.50 per day OF
100 miles or less, except when Mallet
engines are used, when $40 shall be
paid.
Overtime In passenger service vii! be
computed on the present basis. at a
speed of twenty miles an hour.
In freight service on engines weighing
less than 100000 pounds firemen shall
over 100000 pounds $3.50 per day of
100 miles or less. overtime to be COM
puted on basis at a speed of twelve and
one-half miles per hour.
Firemen and helpers employed In
local or way freight service, mixed
trains, mine runs and other service shall
be paid minimum of so cents per 100
miles or less in addition to the through
freight rates.
Firemen employed on helper, pusher,
transfer work, wreck, construction, snow
plough circus. milk and all other trains
in unclassif1ed service shall be paid
through freight rates according to class
OF engine used.
Firemen employed on Mallet engines
In all service except yard service, shall
be paid 1920 per day for 100 miles or
less.
Firemen and helpers employed in
yard service shall be paid $3.50 per day
OF eight hours or less. except when
Mallet engines are used, when rate OF
$3.50 shall be paid.
Demands for Overtime.
A demand for time and one-half for
overtime In all classes of service is
made, which will apply when men are
used on Sundays or holidays.
Inside ostlers shall be paid $3.50 per
day and outside ostlers 1920 per day
and ostlers' helpers $3.50 per day,
eight hours or less to constitute a days
work. All time work in excess of eight
hours to be paid at rate OF time and
one-half
In addition to the demand that all coal
burning locomotives In road service
weighing over 100000 pounds be
equipped with mechanical stokers, a de-
mand Is made that all coal burning loco
motives less than that weight shall be
equipped with mechanical coal passers,
a mechanical device operated by steam
to keep the coal within the reach of the
firemen. and that all coal burning loco
motives shall be equipped with power
CRATE shakers and automatic fire door
openers.
1t is estimated that 1t will cost $780,
100000 to equip the locomotives in the
United States with the different mechan-
ical devices demanded by the firemen.