The Connecticut labor press., 1920-11-27
RAILROAD UNIONS MAY LOSE POWER
 IN LABOR BOARD
"Jokers Beginning to Appear in the Cummins-E Esch Bill Af-
 fecting Representation.
RE-CROUPING BEGINS
May Soon Eliminate Representa- tion of the 16 Standard Rail
 road Organizations Entirely.

An order making regrouping to govern future nomination of labor rep resentatives on the Railroad Labor Board which promises to- have far reaching effect has been announced by the Interstate Commerce Commission in Washington. It adds a new fourth group composed largely of what are termed company men," A further ruling is that the original three groups shall be limited to a total of six nom- inees. Heretofore each group was per mitted to make six nominations If so desired.
 The fourth group created in the order for the purpose of making and offering nominations to the President consists of station agents, train dis patchers, yardmasters, storekeepers, porters, skilled and unskilled laborers, expressmen and railway auditors.
 Section BOA of the Cumrnins-Esch law permits the Interstate Commerce Commission to make as many labor groups as 1t pleases. Paragraph one of the section which specifies the man ner in which members of the board shall be appointed, reads:
 Three members constituting the la Dor groxfR, representing the employees and subi inate officials of the carriers, IO DG dHX#lIllCu Dy lIlG II LICSIuClll, Dy and with tie advice and consent of the Senate, from not less than six nominees whose nominations shall be made and offered by such employees in such man. ner as the commission shall by regu- lation prescribe
 Two important jckers appear in this paragraph which may serve to elimin- ate representation of the 16 standard railroad labor organizations and their more than 100000 members from the board within two years from next March. The first Is the inclusion of subordinate officials" who are invari- ably aligned with the management, and second. permitting the commission to prescribe other so-called labor groups" from time to time.
 Creation of the new fourth group paves the way for eliminating James J. Forester, representing the third group, when his one-year term expires next March. Under the new order a travel ing auditor or yardmaster can be nom mated to succeed him. On or before March, 1922, another group of shop foremen can be prescribed to nomln- ate candidate for appointment to re- place A. O. Wharton, who now repre- sents Group 2 on the board. In like manner Albert Phillips, representing Group l, could be replaced III, 1925, so that the bona fde employees would be without voice or vote in determining wages and working conditions. All new appointees to the board will hold office for three years.
 In the new regulations governing nominations the first three groups of employees are to consist of the follow ing:
 Group 1-Engineers, fremen, con- ductors, trainmen and switchmen.
 Group 2-Machinists, boilermakers, blacksmiths, metal workers, electrical workers and carmen.
 Group Photographers, maintenance of way men, signalmen, clerks and sta tionary firemen.
 Group 4 will consist of the newly established subdivision enumerated at the beginning of this article. It was created in spite of the vigorous protest entered by the regular railroad labor organizations and establishes a prece- dent for others. It Is possible for the railroad managers to control the board of nine members within two years from next March.
 The entire personnel of the Railroad Labor Board can be changed during the first two years of President Hard ing's administration.