New-York tribune., 1921-04-15
Board Annuls
National Rail
Labor Pacts
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shall have conferred with the manage
mcnt.
"S. No employee should bc disciplincs
without y fair hearing by designated
officer of the carrier. Suspension Ii
proper cases pending hearing, which
shall be prompt, shall not be decmet
! violation of this principle. At q rea
sonable time, prior to the hearing
he Is entitled to be apprsed Of tht
principal charge against him. He shal
have . reasonable opportunity to Sc
cure the presence Of necessary witness
es and shall have the right to be there
represented by counsel Of his choos
ing II the Judgment be in his favo,
loss, if any, suffered by him.
90 Proper classification Of employees
and n reasonable definition Of the work
to be done by each class, for which iust
and reasonable wages are to be paid, is
necessary, but shall not unduly impose
uneconomical conditions upon the car
riero.
40. Regularity Of hours or days dur.
ing which the employee Is to serve OF
hold himself in readiness to serve is
desirable.
Seniority Rules Upheld
al. The principle Of seniority. long
applied to the railroad service, is sound
and should be adhered to. 1t should be
so applied as not to cause undue i'm
pairment of the service.
"12. The board approves the princi-
Piles Of the eight-hour day. but believes
it should be limited to work requiring
practically continuous application dur
ing eight hours. For eight hours pay
eight hours work should be performed
by all railroad employees, except en-
gine and train service employees, regu-
lated by the Adamson act, who sre
paid generally on a mileage basis as
we'll as an hourly basis.
"13. The health and safety. Of en-
ployees should be reasonably pro-
tected.
ia. The carriers and the several
crafts and classes of railroad employees S
have q substantial interest in the COM
petence of apprentices or persons under
training. Opportunity to learn any
craft or occupation shall not be un-
duly restricted.
"15. The majority Of any craft or
class Of employees shall have the right
to determine what organization shall
represent members of such craft or
class. Such organization shall have the
right to make an agreement which shall
apply to all employees in such craft
or class. No such agreement shall in
fringe, however, upon the. right OF en-
ployees not members of the organza-
ton representing the majority to pre-
sent grievances either in person or by
representatives of their own choice.
Must Pay All Reporting
'16. Employees called or required to
report for work and reporting, but not
used should be paid reasonable comper-
sation therefor"
The boards decision came uneXpect-
cdly in the middle of the hearing on
the business and reasonabeness Of the
existing rules and opened wev to
speedy conclusion of the whole con
troversy. The fight over national agree
ments was begun immediately after
the return of the railroads to private
ownership March l, 1920, but consid
Grafton of rules was postponed by the
Labor Board when it was formed on
April 10, 1920, because of the urgency
OF the wage question at that .'ne.
When the board began to function it
divided the whole railroad controversy
into question Of wages and of work
ing conditions. The hearings on wages
resulted in decision No. 2, the $500 600
600 wage award of July 20, 1920, and the
rules dispute was deferred until Janu-
ary of this year. In decision No. 9
the board directed that the national
shop crafts agreements should be con-
tinued and the bulletins and orders of
the United States railroad administra-
ton have also been continued in force
Right to Alter Date Reserved
In setting July i as the date for ter
minating the national agreements
however, the board declared in it's de-
cision to-day that it PRESERVES the right
to terminate its direction of decision
! No. 2 at an earlier date than July |
with regard to any class of employees
if it shall have reason to believe that
such class Of employees is unduly de
laying the progress of the negotiations
to be entered into by the conference OF
arrangements and employees. 1t also
reserves the right to stay the termina-
tion of the agreements if it believes
any carrier is unduly delaying negotia-
tions.
The board directed that the confer
ences keep the board informed O.
final agreements and disagreements
to the end that the board may know
prior to July l, 1921, what portion o.
the dispute has been decided" While
placing the chief responsibility fol
drawing up a new set of working rules
on the parties involved, the board die
not say what part the rules agreed
JUOn in conference and tho ruIac rro