The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1919-08-20
FIREMEN SEEKING
BIG WAGE INCREASE
Demand for 35 to 65 Per Cent Increase
includes at Least $4,000 Men
in This Country and Canada

Cleveland. Aug. IA 80 to So per
cent increase in wages is demanded
for $4,000 firemen and hostlers on
railroads in the United States and
Canada in a wage scale adopted be-
fore adjournment today by 300 general
chairmen of the Brotherhood of Loco
motive Firemen and Enginemen in
session 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 epuipp-
ed
About half OF the 100000 engines in
the United States will come under
this proposal only about 5000 OF which
ARE equipped with mechanical stokers
mt present.
In accepting the report of the wage
committee, appointed at the opening
session last Tuesday and which only
completed and presented its report
Saturday morning, discussion of which
took up yesterday and today's confer
ences. some notifications were made,
but the report was adopted in the
main part.
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 NAL
let engines are used, when S7.20 shall
be paid
Overtime in passenger service will
be computed on INC PRESENT basis, at
a speed of 20 miles an hour.
In freight service on engines weigh
ing less than 100000 poands 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 basis at speed
of IL liz miles per hour.
Firemen and helpers employed in
local or way freight service. mixed
trains, mine runs and other service
shall be paid a minimum of SO cents
per 100 miles or less IN addition to the
through freight rates.
Firemen employed on helper, push
er, transfer work, wreck construction,
snow pow, circus, milk and all other
trains in unclasslfied service shall -
paid through freight rates according
to class of engine used.
Firemen employed on Mallet engines
in all service except yard service,
shall be paid 7.20 per day for 100
miles or leess.
Firemen and helpers employed in
yard service shall be paid $3.50 per
day of hours or less, except when
mailet engines are used, when rate of
$3.50 shall be paid.
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 and holidays.
Inside hostlers shall be paid $3.50
per day and outside hostlers $7.20 per
day, hours or less to constitute a
days work All time work in excess
of hours to be paid at rate of time
and one-haf.
In addition to the demand that all
coal burning locomotives in road ser
vice weighing over 100000 pounds be
equipped with mechanical stokers, a
demand is made that all coal burning
locomotives less than that weight
shall be equipped with mechanicai coal
passers, mechanical device operated
by steam to keep the coal within the
reach of the firemen and that all coal
burning locomtves shall be equipped
with power gratis shakers and auto
matte fire door openers,
1t is estimated that it will cost $500,
00o,0 900 to equip the locomotives in the
United States with the different me-
chanical devices demanded by the fire
MEN.
Uniform deadhead rules for pay for
firemen when travelling from one ternS
inal to work at another and to, be ap-
piled to all railroads in this country
and Canada are demanded.
! Another working condition demand
ed is that on railroads where firemen
are required to clean locomotives they
shall be relieved of such work and
that fremen shall be relieved of re-
moving tools or supplies, loading coal,