New-York tribune., 1921-03-05
Ship Repairing
Yards to Make
WageReduction
Dockbuildcrs Will Reduce
Pay and Increase the
Hours of Work; Action to
Go Into Effect at Once
TO Speed Pier Projects
Extensions Being Held Up ON
Account of High Costs Are
Expected To Be Pushed

Announcements of general reduc~
tous in wages will be posted this
morning in the ship repair yards of
the Port of New York. In addition, a
rev schedule of wages and hours of
employment, effective at once, has been
established by the Contracting Deck
builders Association, and cut in pay
has been made by the Masters Black
smiths Association.
About 10000 workers in marine
trades in the Port OF New York will b.
affected by these moves.
In the case of the drydocks and re-
pair yards, the cut in wages, which
averages about 10 per cent on the
present rates, will take effect on April
l. As the depression in shipping has
reduced employment in the repair
plants to such an extent that there are
three applicants for practically every
place Offering, no strike is expected
Repair Yards Reduce Costs
The men in the yards are still on
the scale prevailing during the height
ef the war period, there having been
no reduction since the armistice, al
though the yards have reduced their
prices, cut having been made some
time ago in connection with work for
the Shipping Board. About $4,000
workers will be affected by the new
scale. The question of unionism does
not enter into the situation, as the
Yards have been working on an open
shop basis for some time past.
A recassiiicstion of labor is ESQ
being effected in the repair yards, the
men being placed in three classes, the
most skilled and experienced men be
ing placed in the higher grades.
Steps toward a reduction in ship re-
pairing cost through wage reductions
havc already been taken at Norfolk
and Baltimore, and like action is now
expected in Philadelphia, Boston and
other Atlantic Coast ports, as we'll as
On the Pacific Coast.
Blacksmiths Accept Cut
reduction of 10 cents an n h,ur
has just been put into effect in the
wages of men in the jobbing FORCES
OF the port, which work largely for
the repair yards under contract. The
announcement of the cut by the Mas
ters Blacksmiths' Association has been
accepted by the unions. Several hun
dred workers are affected.
The action of the Contracting Dock
builders Association affects about
$500 workers. 1t is estimated that as
recIlt of the changes in paw and
hours it will now be possible to go
ahead with extensive work which has
been held up on account of the high
cost of construction. Among the
projects withheld because of the high
costs are the Cunard company's plans
or series of piers on the New Jer-
sey side OF the North River, on which
many millions are to be spent. The
Luckenbach lines are also preparing to
put through development work and
many Of the railroads intend to in
crease their wharfage facilities.
According to the announcement Of
the Dockbuiders' Association, all
work now on hand will be continued
On the old basis of wages and hours
Of work All new work begun to-day
and hereafter, however, will be sub
)ect TO the new arrangement.
bodybuilding Scale Changed
IOIeNIcn OH new waterfront WORK,
Eho have been getting $50 for work
,ng week Of forty-four hours, will
hereafter be paid SAT for a forty
eight hour week. Engineers have
been on the same basis as foremen,
bue hereafter they will get S45 for
forty eight hour week. Dockbuild-
crs will be reduced from Il per hour
u SO cents. Foremen and engineers
on inland foundation work will be cut
from the present lie of 500 .,er
week to the new rates for the same
classes of labor on waterfront work.
and dockbuilders on inland work will
De reduced from s1.l2 per hour to 80
cents. Under the new plan the diff
lerential between waterfront and in
land workers will be abolished.
In addition, overtime on new work
Viii be redu el from the present
double time rate to time and a half,
except for Sunday and holiday work,
and workmen on extra shifts will be
paid single time
The unions have rejected the new
WORKING basis and strike MY be at
tempted as new work is taken up, but
work in hand is expected to go on,
as there Is no change in the scales of
payment and hours on this. The
agreement Of the Dockbuilders' Asso-
clation with the union expired on
december 81, last. however, and the
association announced then that it
would not renew it.