Grand Forks herald. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1916-1955, 1921-03-28
DISMISS APPEAL
FOR HIGH WAGES
Railway Labor Board Kills
Hope of Unions For In
Grease This Year.

Chicago, March 2s.-The United
States railroad board today dismissed
appeals for increased wages filed with
1T last fall by fifteen railway labor
unions against sixty-seven ':short
lines throughout the country.
Short lines which accepted for their
men the terms of the $500, 900, 900
wage award of last July. will not be
privileged to go back to the old scale
under todays action, however, the an
nouncement of the board saying: :
This decision shall not be consid-
cred as affecting any wage increase
now in effect nor any agreement re-
garding wages between any of the
carriers and their employees" -
Affects 1000 Employees.
Approximately four thousand em-
ployes on sixty-seven railroads are at
fected by the boards decision. All
the roads are short lines in some
cases operating for only q few miles.
Representatives OF fifteen em-
ployes' organizations are among the
four thousand men affected. In a
few cases, employees belonging to all
fifteen unions 3are involved on the
same road, but on the larger part of
the roads only a few classes of em-
ployes. come sinder the ~decihtDn" for
sAS ASAoOA SAAti Tie OOdEN % QCCASiOil
affects only those in whose behalf a
dispute was brought to the board
Disputes We're originally certified to
the board on the part; 6f employees
belonging to one or more = of the
fifteen unions on 1913 railroads. Ten
Of these roads, however. were elec-
trio lines and ithe board ruled these
fines out. Tweptysix ;other lines
adopted the wage schedules paid, by
the trunk lines. laid down in what is
known as decision No. 2. the wage
Labor board of July 20. 1920.
The, trunk lines in decision No. 2,
were those represented by the Asso-
ciation Of Railroad Executives.
| Following the application OF deci-
sion No. 2, employees on roads not af-
fected began to file disputes with the
board and the whole matter was
taken up in a hearing known at the
short line hearing on October 18
1920. The hearing consumed four.
teen days over period of more than
month. The short lines are not
parties to the present rules and work
ing conditions hearings and in event
they do not accept the boards deci'
sion on rules. a separate hearing or
, rules for short lines will also b.
necessary.
! Scales Varied.
Il Various scales of wages have beer
in effect on the sixty-seven roads
Some carriers paid the standard seal,
established by the United States Rail
road administration. Others paid ap
proximately the same rates as thos,
paid on the trunk lines in the sam
territory.
i The men involved include: Ma
chinists. sheet metal workers. loco
motive engineers. trainmen; clerks
freight handlers, express and station
employees, maintenance of way EN-
ployes and railroad shop laborers
telegraphers. electrical workers. flre
men and engine men. conductors
boilermakers, iron ship builders an
helpers. blacksmiths. drop forger
and helpers and train dispatchers.
\. The railroads involved include
Copper Range Railroad company; Du
luth & Northern Minnesota railway
Escanaba and Lake Superior rail
road. Green Bay & Western railroad
4 Manistee and Northwestern railroad
Minnesota. Dakota & Western rail
way; Mississippi river and Bonn
Terre railway.
al remote from large cities and pro
vide service for small communities. 10
Gated in practically every state. Be
cause of the varying kinds Of wor
performed by the employees the boar
declared it found 1t 'impracticable t
decide on the evidence submitted wha
are reasonable wages for the varyin
work under Infinitely varying cond!
TONS by the employees.
/ Representatives OF the carriers an
the employees are still given the r1gh
to confer as to wages and workin
conditions under the boards decision