The Pioche record. [volume] (Pioche, Nev.) 1908-1925, 1921-02-25
LABOR RULESCOST
ROADS MILLIONS
Public Directly interested in
Effort to Stop Dram on
Carriers Income.
BIG SUNS FOR WORK NOT DOVE
Rlilways Asking Labor 5oard &C
Abrogate wastsfui Agreements
Made Under Federal Control.

lts farmers its Wurkinen. and even the Il
railway employees themselves are III /
rectly Interested with the railroads ~ Z
cutting down railway operating ex
De nses."
This is the keynote 81 the case pre-.
sented by the railroads to the United /
States Railroad Labor Board. now IN /
session in Chicago.
The railroads have submitted evil (
dcnce to the board to show why the /
National Agreements affecting railway /
shop labor should be abrogated. be- /
l'eving that this is a vitality important I
step in the process of reducing op.
Grating expenses.
This step Is not only necessary to |
insure adequate earning power to the |
railroads. but will make possible an !
ultimate reduction in rates.
Tie agreements were made by the I
Railroad, Administration Just before
the end of Federal control The sum
total of the rules and working condi
tions provided by the National Agree
mcntS have increased the operat,ne
expenses of the railroads by hundreds
efficiency and output of the employees
N other ways resulting. in losses
which cannot be calculated in dollars
and cents.
For several weeks the railroads
have been multiplying instances OF The
absurd and extravagait results Of tie
labor rules fastened upon them by lie
National Agreements.
In one case cited before the board i
machlnist WAS paid 16a hours wages
for work all performed within eight
hours. This ease illustrated the effect
OF the rule that for each "call" the
worker is to be paid five hours wages
even if he works only ten minutes.
Tie case of car repairer on the
Virgnian Railway, who was recently
paid over $1,000 for services which
were never rendered, and in addition
! the same amount of overtime as was
made by his gang, was another exam
| Pile.
! In connection with the rule that
4 none but mechanics or apprentices
/ shall do mechanics work, the follow
ing was cited TO Indicate its unfair
ness:
Five Hours Pay for 80 Minutes Work
The FL PaSo 4 Southwestern Rail-
road recently had an engine set out at
/ Douglas, and about the time 1t was
/ re1dy 70 60 to its train Ii developed
that window light WAS broken in the
/ 90 IT YoS panas ~, for fba &,
to call carpenter to do the work thai
he could have performed himself in il
few minutes. The train was delayed
one hour and 80 minutes. and the EN-.
ployee called to do the work was paid
FIVE hours for work requiring 30 min
utes."
The inefiieiency.created in ;nfexihe
4 application. of the rules contained in
the agreements in question was Illus,
rated in the following actual case
which recently occurred on the Balti.
more & Ohio Railroad:
"An engine was placed in the
shops for certain repairs. Because
of the provisions of the National
Agreement. ii was necessary that
members of five crafts perform
parts of this work; formerly. the
entire operation was performed by
the members of but two crafts"
$500 600 for Wort; Not PERI orurd
How the railroads of the country
we're compelled to pay almost $4,000,
600 in the first six months of 1920 for
service not rendered because Of the
effects of but one Of the Isl rules in
Guided in the Shop Crafts Nafiona
Agreement was shown in the test
mony.
Thspunitlve payment for work new
Ell performed was required by CLAUSE
in the National Agreement. which pro
vides that when employees are re
CURED to check In and ont OH thei
own time they will be paid one hou
extra at the close of each week.
The rigid classifications of labor
when taken In connection with TIN
rule that requires that a man mus
have four years experience before be
ing employed to perform any of iii
work listed in them. result in payin
rates applicable TO men who are SUI
posed to be fully qualified for wor
which does not require men OF fou
years experience.
TO Illustrate how the inaeXihiltie
nt many OF the rules now enforced OF
crate to mulct the railroads of larg
sums for services which in the al
sence OF these rules could be obtaine
for relatively moderate sums, evidenc
WIS laid before the Labor Board SHOW
Ing that three men who were on
ployed ut small pumping station
II Michigan, performing unakilled worl
n would, when classified under the rule
receive m excess of pay amountiu
Y to more than the value of all the vi
4 ter pumped and current generated
this station.
i The Chicago testimony contains II
orally hundreds OF instances such
4 these. all supporting the contention
the railroads. that the labor rules u
4 der which they have been forced
work are such rs to prevent tls "ho
N n