The Washington times., 1919-10-19
R. CARMEN
DISSATISFIED
WITH RAISE
Union Officials Intimate VOlun-
tary Pay Increase win Not
Meet Demands.


Il Was strongly intimated today BY
the AmalEa1nated Association OF
Street Railway Employees and the
Brotherhood Of Street Railway En-
ployes that the increase OF 8 cents an
hour granted employees OF the wash
ington Railway and Electric Com
pany yesterday viii not meet their
demands for an Increase O. salary anc
are unsatisfactory
The Amalgamated Association of
Street Railway Employees has de-
manded a 50 per cent increase. The
request Of this union IS now On the
hands Of the Labor Department for
Cancellation. An Official Of the body
told The Times today that another
meeting with the company probably
will be asked this week, at which
their request for increase in salary
win be repeated.
The Brotherhood OF Street Railway
Employees has asked a 25 per cent
increase in salary. It was stated au-
thoritatively today that the union
is dissatisfied with the increase Of 3
cents an hour which the Washington
Railway and Electric Company has
gFauted. This body viii continue 20
demand that the company accede 20
its request.
Tive Separate Unionh.
The employe personnel Of the
Washington Railway and Electric
Company belongs 70 the two unions,
the brotherhood claiming q member
ship Of 500 men. While the claims
Of the latter company are being ne
EOtiated by Rowland B. Mahaney,
c0nciliator in the Department OF
Labor. the other union has refused TO
submit TO arbitration and q making
itg demands outright.
what the contemplated action on
the part Of either union viii be, now
that the Washington Railway and
Electric Company has practically
stated the increase Of 3 cents an hour
viii be all that the company can az
ford Ct present, could not be learned
definitely today. That both unions
are planning some action probably
this week was very strongly inti-
mated, however, BY these questioned.
Increase AnnouneeE.
Immediately following the action Of
the Public Utilities Commission yes
2
terday in Announcing that BEGIN
ming November 1, fares on both
lines would be Increased TO z cents,
with four. tickets for q quarter, and
free transfers between cars Of the
same company, and with 2-cent
transfers between the lines, the
Washington Railway and Electrie
Company Issued a statement Il viii
grant it's motormen and conductors
q Scent increase per hour. The rul-
ing will be retroactive from Octo-
Der /.
This Is the same increase which the
Capital Traction Company, q few
weeks ago. gave to it's employees be-
fore the ruling Of the Utilities Com
mission for increased fare went into
effect.
Reserve Comments.
The following statement was made
yesterday relative TO the increase by
s. r. Bowen. vice president OF the
Washington Railway and Electric
Company:
I'VE refer to reserve comment until
we have had an opportunity to sx-
anime the commissions order care
fully, and also to learn the nature Of
Commissioner Gardeners dissenting
opinion.
I'VE wish, however, to state that
inasmuch as the order purports to
provide revenues sufficient to meet an
increase Of weges amounting to 3 /
cents an hour for trainmen with cor
increases to certain other
employees, said increases will be
granted, retroactive to October /, |
1919"
The new scale Of wages for the
employees Of the Washington Rail- |
way and Electric Company will be |
fOrty-six cents an hour the first |
three months Of employment forty |
nine cents for the next nine months |
and dfty-one cents thereafter. The
company has expressed the hope that |
the men will be satisfied and that /
with the increase in wages, all danger
Of a strike in the near future will be |
averted.
Comments this morning. though |
unofficial, led to the belief that the |
men Of neither union are satisfied |
with the increase, and that danger
of strike Is made all the more i'm |
ninent for the reason that the com /
oanies are believed to have "rone /
the limit" in raising fares for the
present.