Perth Amboy evening news., 1921-12-01
ROADS TO SAVE
s50,000,000
labor Board Classics Work
erS for Economy---0pen
Shop is Declared

CHICAGO, Dec. Economics in
operation and increased efficiency.
estimated to reach $4,000, GEO a
year and recognition of the open
shop" on all American railroads
were forecast tonight in the promul-
CATION of revised working rules gov
ern.1g railroad shop employees by
the United States Railroad Labor
Board.
The new rules become effective to-
DAY, December /, and take jur-
isdiction over Approximately 10000
men Immediately. although a still
larger number will be affected when
the normal traffic conditions are re-
stored.
Far reaching changes in the rules
which supplant the National Agree
men: made during federal control,
were designed to afford a basis for
permanent stability in the railroad
shops of the country and were de-
clared by members of the Labor
Board to be the most important work
yet done by the board and of much
greater significance than any deci-
sion in the past, ever including wage
scale adjustments.
Large economics are expected to
result from revision of the classih-
cation rules. which we're made more
elastic, and hereafter will permit
members of certain crafts to do min
or Jobs previously done by members
of other crafts. Statisticians at
tached to the Labor Board estimat-
ed that economics. in operation in
creased efficiency and larger put
put, would approximate $4,000. 900
a year.
Provision for the representation of
minorities who may have grievances
is another important item of the
new rules. Under the National
agreement. negotiations for employees,
was placed almost wholly in the
hands of labor organizations. with
the result that the railroads and
many industrial and civic institu-
tons declared thai the agreement
forced a closed union shop on the
roads.
1.-The principle of the open shop
established by the new rules" a
statement by board members said,
will in fact be more theoretical
than practical at the present time,
since a large majority of the rail-
road shops are unionized and the
existing unions are recognized by
the board and by the Transportation
Act as representative of the major
ity.
Most of the older working rules,
sanctioned by the experience of
years, are preserved in full effect.
Many of the more rigid rules, how
ever, were considerably relaxed in
favor of the roads, although the rec
ognized rights of the men are fully
protected and the principle of col
lective bargaining and union recog-
niZation is retained, as contemplate
ed by the Transportation"
The rules controversy dates back
to May /, 1920, when the railroads
emerged from government control.
Strenuous objections to the national
agreement were made In a hearing
which began January 10. 1921. At
ter several months of testimony, the
rules were referred back to the in
hividual roads with instructions to
negotiate such new rules as they
rould with their employees to replace
the federal government rules.
Numerous rules were thus agreed
upon on individual roads, but on no
road was it possible to draft an en-
lire new set. The rules disagreed
upon were then sent back to the
Labor Board, and the rules promul-
gated today will replace any such
rules not agreed upon by the roads
and their employees. In n case
where a rule has been agreed upon