Free trader-journal and Ottawa fair dealer. (Ottawa, Ill.) 1920-1927, 1921-12-14
RAILROAD LABOR
BOARD ORDER ENDS
8 HOUR DAY RULE
DECISION HITS HALF MILLION
MEN EMPLOYED IN MAlNTEN.
ANcs or WAYS-TlME AND A
HALF BEGINS AFTER TEN
HOURS WORK.

Chicago, Dee. Isl The eighthoul
day was abolishedi N effect for NOR,
than 100000 maintenance OF way ON
ployos Of the eountry's railroads yes
terday in Il decision Of the United
states railroad labor board.
The board ruled that time and O
half for overtime shali not be paid
until tea hours have ueen worked al
though eight hours shall still consti
tute a days work Railroad unions
have bitterly opposed muves OF SINH
lar sort attempted by railroads acting
independently OF the board
The decision becomes effective Fri
day. Telephone, telegraph and signal
equipment men are included in the
decision which, for the first time
Classics them with tracllmen
Time aud a half for Sunday work
is also eliminated but the decision on.
ders payment for three hours for the
first two hours work on Sunday. ii
the employee affected works less than
eight hours Employees called from
ltEuldi 4NNs Ald 5NAli w Nll'l hthhg
matters. such az wrecks waghDuts
and the like, will be paid al the rate
OF eight hours a day Instead of re.
ceiyiHg extra pay for sleeping hours
between 10 at night and in the
morning.
Railroads are empowered TO make
an agroemcn with employees prOyid-
ing for shorter hours so that uuem-
ploymcnt viii be avoided Tho for
mer national agreement provided for
eight hours OF work to be paid for
every day Railroads also are en-
powered TO reach an agreement as to
the starting time CT shifts and en-.
ployes meal hour.
Agreement Affected
The fixing OF the tcu-hour basis FOR
the payment Of overtime IS radical
departure from the national agree.
ment, although it previously existed
for large number Of maintenance
of way employees in extra or float
ing" gangs The decision viii aiicct
savings estimated at hundreds OF
thousands of dollars a month for the
railroads.
The decision broadly hint that the
board IS ready to hear applications
for ware reductions from the rail-
roads and applications for increased
pay rom the unions
Rule On Million.
1t points out that working agree
ment3 affecting more than 100000
railroad employees, half of the total
number employed, have been dis
posed Of within forty-GFa days Of the
withdrawal Of the recent strike order
nIt is empowered to acJ only after
the railroads and their employee have
failed to reach an agreement. and it,
was announced some time ago '"t
we alters would not be co0G'12 .
Until ro' i3ion of the national agree |
ment had been completed.
Tho decision asserts however, that
despite progress already mad 2 !
neither railroads 10 remploves have
initiated proceedings for waG g,
changes,
Tho decision made no new rules re- I
garding seniority, 30 per cont OF the
roads having agreed with their men
on these rules. The few disputes on
seniority were referred back TO the |
men and the executives fer agree |
ment Ninety per cent Of the roads /
reported no disputes On promotion !
rules and the board took similar |
action. The rules on discipline and /
grivances wore raadopted with prac /
tically no changes, as there were yir- |
tually no disputes
On many railroads the men and the
executives had worked out complete
agreements In such cases the rules
stand The boards rules apply only |
where there has been no agreement. |
Some Of the agreements between the
men and the managemonts were close
~ parallel to the national agreement,
others were radically different,
SO far as the board is concerned
these rules are finally dianosed Of and |
if they are again referred 70 i they
win not usurp the place Of other mat |
tiers before it. Railroads and unions
both have begun to asitata the wage
question,