The Union daily times. [volume] (Union, S.C.) 1918-current, 1920-08-10
EMPLOYEES OF EXPRESS COMPANY Z
GET e,esssCs...LAoE In SALARIES

Chicago, August. 10.-The United
States Railway Labor Board TODAY
handed down decision increasing
wages of the employees of the Ameri-
can hallway Express Co., $4,000, 900
yearly.
Eighty thousand men not provided
for by the recent 5000 ,O00, 900 railway
wage award, are affected.
= The award is retroactive to Mav.1
1920. The wage increase amounting
to l6 cents an hour, will give mes
sengers and other train service EN-
ployes an increase of $3S.4O a month.
All other employees will receive an in
crease Of $32.64.
= Train service employees work On a
240 hour month basis while all other
work on 204 hour basis.
Chicago, Aug. 10.-Four unions are
affected by the boards decision. They
are:
The brotherhood of Railway and
Steamship Clerks, Freight Handlers,
Express and Station Employees.
The international brotherhood of
Transfers, Chauffeurs, Local No. 72O
of Chicago. ,s,,...... -.
The Order of Railway Expressmen.
For the purpose of the award the,
board divided Express employees in,
five classes but the increase granted
was in each case the same, 16 cents.
an hour. Messengers and other EN-
pioyees in the train service whose
hours are computed on a basis of a
240-hour month will receive an in
crease of $S8.40. All other employees
working on the 204 hour per month
basis will receive $32.64 more The
board directs that pay from May to
August 81 shall be paid to employees
from their September
checks in order that they may know
the. exact a1ipunt Of back pay re-
|ceived.
|. Describing conditions in the Ex-
press service, the board states in its
decision:
GAS in the case of railroad en-
Eployees, this long delay and success
sion of sdisappointments, (referring
to the unsuccessful efforts of the men
10 get an increase early last spring.
coupled with the pressure of a furth-
er rise in living costs, produced deep
and not unreasonable dissatisfaction
/ On the part of the Express employees
to- Q greater degree than upon many
l,of thee railroad employees, as the
TO. the Express employees
were generally less than those paid
for analogous service by the rail-
roads and in many other industries.
The Express employees thus felt
themselves called upon to make sac
rifces as they believed, far beyond
those of any other class. For these
reasons, and as a measure of justice,
it was decided that this decision, when
made, would be effective as of May l,
1920, and that the increases herein
specified should be slightly in excess
of those decided upon for railroad
employees performing similar serv-
ice"
Presidents of the Express Unions,
| who were present when the award
| was handed down, were non commit
| tai on its acceptability but the gen
| eral impression was that the labor
| board had been slightly more gener-
Gus than either the Unions or the En-
press Company had expected. Two of
the Union had demanded increases of
$51.O0 per month while the other two
asked an increase of $500 monthly.
The Brotherhood of Railway and
Steamship Clerks, Freight Handlers,
Express and Station Employees will
hold a grand lodge meeting here to-
night to pass on the award. About
$4,000 Of the 10000 Express en-
ployees are said to be members of
this union.
Washington, Aug. 10.-Recommen-
dations that Express rates be in
creased $3O,000,00O to absorb the
wage award announced today by the
Railroad Labor Board will be filed
with the Interstate Commerce Com
mission soon, it was announced today
by T. B. Harrison, general counsel
for American Railway Express Com
pany.
The Express Company already has
before the Commission an application
for rate increases approximating
$72,000000 to meet increased costs
aside from advanced wages and
should all of it's recommendations be
adopted by the Commission Express
charges would be increased so as to
produce a total of more than $780,
100000 added revenue annually.