The Leavenworth echo. [volume] (Leavenworth, Wash.) 1904-current, 1919-08-22
RAILROAD FIREMAN ASK
FOR INCREASED WAGES
If Demands are Granted Increase will
Amount to so Says President
of the Brotherhood

is demanded for 117,000 firemen and
hostlers on railroads in the United
States and Canada in wage scale
adopted before adjournment this week
by 300 general chairmen of the Broth
erhood of Locomotive Firemen and
Enginemen in session at Cleveland,
Ohio, 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 fire
men shall be employed on all such
locomotives until they are so
equipped.
About half of the $4,000 engines
in the United States will come under
this proposal.
The more important sections of the
report follows:
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
$7.20 shall be paid.
Overtime in passenger service will
be computed on the present basis, at
speed of 20 miles an hour.
In freight service on engines
weighing less than 100000 pounds
firemen shall be paid $3.50 and on
engines weighing over 100000 pounds
$3.50 per day of 100 miles or less,
overtime to be computed on present
basis, at a speed of 1914 miles an
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 hundred miles or less in addition
to the through freight rates.
Firemen employed on helper
pusher, transfer work, wreck, con-
struction, snowplow, circus, milk and
all other trains in unclassified SER
vice shall be paid the thru freight
rates according to class of engine
used.
Firemen employed on Mallet en-
gines in all service, except yard SER
vice, shall be paid $720 a day for
100 miles or less.
Firemen and helpers employed in
yard service shall be paid $3.50 pei
day of eight hours or less, except
when Mallet engines are used, when
$3.50 shall be paid.
A demand for time and one-half fo1
overtime in all classes of service is
made which will apply when men are
used on Sundays or holidays.
Inside hostlers shall be paid $3.50
day and outside hostlers $7.20 a
day, and hostlers' helpers $3.50 a day
eight hours or less to constitute q
days work. All work in excess OF
eight hours is to be paid for at the
rate of time and one-half.
A demand is made that all coal
burning locomotives less than 100000
pounds in weight shall be equipped
with mechanical coal passers, a me-
chanical device operated by steam to
keep the coal within the reach of the
firemen and that all coal burning To-
comotives shall be equipped with
power CRATE shakers and automatic
fire door openers.
It is estimated that it will cost
$200,O00,00O to equip the locomotives
in the United States with the me-
chanical devices demanded by the
| firemen.
Uniform deadhead rules for pay
for firemen when travelling from one
terminal to work in another and to
be applied to all railroads in this
country and Canada are demanded.
Another working condition de-
manded is that on railroads where
firemen are required to clean loco
motives they shall be relieved of such
work and that firemen shall be re-
lieved of removing tools or supplies,
loading coal, filling lubricators, etc.
"The firemen on locomotives han
ding the preponderance of traffic
will receive under our proposition a
wage increase of about so per cent"
said Timothy Shea, acting president
of the Brotherhood.
eff our full demands are granted
it will hardly restore pre-war condi-
tions, considering the present pur-
chasing power of the dollar"
A copy of the wage draft will be
submitted to Director General of
Railroads Hines and another copy
sent to the board of railroad wages
and working conditions.