The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1921-06-01
500, 900. 900 WAGE CUT.
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wage award. there has been a decrease
in the cost of living and the scale
of wages for similar kinds of work in
other industries have in general been
decreased Those two points were the
chief contentious of the railroads be
fore the board.
Wage reductions ordered by the Rail
road Labor board today resulted from a
combined hearing involving lO4 railroads
which filed petitions to cut the wages of
one or more classes of employees. The
hearing began on April Is and the labor
and railroad representatives were each
granted one week to present their cases.
The final date for submitting evidence
was set for May 16. and the board has
been at work on the case constantly
since that date.
Reduction in the wages of laborers in
other industries and the declining cost
of living were set forth by the railroads
as the basis of their plea for lower wage
scales. The winter slump in business
materially FASTENED action in the en-
deavor to cut down the country's railroad
pay roll and many railroad officials de-
claTed before the board that, their roads
would be in the hands of receivers unless
immediate relief was provided.
The campaign for lower wages was be-
gun-in February when Brig. Gen. w. W.
Atterbury, vice president of the Pennsyl-
vania lines. first demanded the right to
hire unskillcd labor at the rate prevail
ing in each roads territory. Gen. At
terbury brought Hrs demand to the board
during the hearing on rules and working
conditions, which the board has not vet
disposed of. At the same time Gen. At
terbury demanded Immediate abrOgation
of the national ship crafts agreements,
which. he declared. would further reduce
the railroads labor bill by $500, 100000.
The board, however, took no action on
the demands at that time and il was not
until the following month that distinct
wage cases came to the boards attention.
The Erie railroad and the New York
Central lines then took steps toward a
reduction by presenting the matter to
their employees. No agreement was
reached. however. aud the disputes fl
nally reached the labor board.
Provisions of the transportation act of
1920 require that before any dispute is
referred to the labor board. both employees
and employer shall have made n sincere
effort to effect n settlement. In case no
agreement can be reached. the case may
be referred to the board by one or both
parties. The board then summons the
disputants and holds a hearing at which
both sides are given opportunity to pre-
sent their arguments
Following their hearings. the Erie,
which had already put a reduction in
force, was ordered by the board to re-
store the former rates and the New Ork
Central was denied permission to make
an immediate reduction. pending Il hear
ing of the merits of the dispute. Defeat
of the efforts of both roads to cut wages
was then the signal for a deluge of cases
which began to pour into the boards Of
fees. Realizing the futility of attempt
ing a separate hearing on each dispute.
the board combined all the cases for the
hearing which resulted in today's deci-
sion.
After only one days deliberation, the
board made public resolution on May II
stating that prevailing conditions justi-
fed Il REIMBURSEMENT downward and that
Il new wage order would be issued on or
about June 1. to be effective July /. The
decision, however. is not as comprehen-
sive as that which granted the S600,00O,-
600 wage increase to railway workers on
July 20, 1920. Reductions under today :
decision will be effective only for the
classes of employees named by the rail
roads which filed disputes prior to April
Is and which appeared in the hearing be-
ginning on that date. The increase last
year affected all So-callcd Glass | roads,
nearly 200 of the larger rail
systems of the country.
y new hearing will be begun June 6
to include all disputes filed, with the
board between April Is and June q and
a speedy decision is anticipated in the
new case members of the board stating
that today decision would set a prece-
dent for subsequent decisions.