Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1921-03-07
RAIL BOARD ANNULS
WAGE CUT BY ERIE
Management Held to Have Vic.
lated Rulings in Six
Respects
LABOR CLAIMS VICTORY
BY the Associated Press

Chicago, March THE Railway
Labor Board today ruled that the Erie
Railroad had violated previous board
rulings in six respects, particularly IN
reducing wages Of employees and in fail
ing to cancel these reductions when or.
dered to do so by the board. The road
had contcndcd that the board must hold
a hearing before ordering restoration OF
previous rates Of pay.
The railroad ordered n % per cent
reduction in the pay Of trackmen, efec'
tive February |. and later ignored the
boards order to restore wages to the
rates ordered in the decision Of July,
1920.
The railroad set precedent by its
contention that II hearing would have
10 be held on the boards order to re-
store the previous rates of pay. Had
todays decision been favorable to the
Erie Il would have opened the way
for scores Of similar contentious by
other railroads. it was said
Labor Claims Victory
The decision was regarded in labor
circles MS clean cut victory for the
employees. the board upholding labor 5
contention of violation Of decision No.
.. the wage award. by the Erie in every
instance.
The decision did not order the road
specifically to restore the wage rates OF
decision No. .. It declared. however,
THAT when the Erie shall have rescinded
the orders constituting Il violation OF
decision No. . and paid the wages de.
termined by that decision. and shall
have sought conference with the
employees. and when. II il has not been
reasonably possible to decide the dis.
putc in conference. this board will
hear such dispute and decide what
wages are now just and reasonable
The six specified violations of the
wage decision by the Eric were named
as follows:
by deducting the January 81 earn
ings from the January earnings of all
monthly rated employees not consPnting
TO such deductions.
"By dpducting four twenty -eighths
Of the February earnings OF all monthly
rated employees
by dcducting January ~ carninC>
from the January earnings Of such daily
and hourly rated employees classified
prior to wage awards as monthly rated
employees.
"By dcducting four twenty cighthN
~ the February earnings Of employees
in the preceding violation. These
four violations resulted from the Erie :
order that all salnricd employees should
deduct one DAYS pay each week be-
ginning with January II.
by arbitrarily reducing the wages
Of trackmen to thirty cents an hour and
to other hourly rates contrary to de.
cision No. >.
"Ry arbitrarily requiring train dis.
patchers to work seven days n week for
wages determined by this board TO be
Just and reasonable for six days work.
Roads Contention Discussed
The position ot tho board regarding
the question Of inability 0f the road to
nav wages ordered. which has been tho
chief point Of dispute in several recent
cases. was clearly set forth in today 5
decision.
at is tho judgment Of this board.
the decision said. that no carrier may,
without violating the spirit and letter
OF decision No. =. in case its revenue
for any month should be estimated tn
be insufficient tn meet its expenses for
labor and material for that month. ar
bitrnrily appropriate to itself wages due
its employees in such amount aS TO make
expenses for labor and material equal
or exceed revenues for that month.
'"Thprc is simple, orderly and legal
method open 10 all carriers to "btnin
appropriate relief in cas-" they arc Of
the opinion that the wages fixed by
decision No. = ar" not just and reason
able.