The Lake County times. [volume] (Hammond, Ind.) 1906-1933, 1921-12-01
INTERNATIONAL NEWS sERyieEl


cHcAGO Dec 1.-The new co9e
=, rul.. made today by the railway
labor hoard at Chicago makes scoFes
=, aweening changes in the natlon&i
asr.ement and, Il is estimated by ek-
- .+a+4.tieians OF the labor Doaiu'
Win erect s. saving OF approximately
s5o. ooo. 900 annually the railroads. A'
arrscta at the present time about 4oo'-
900 men. :.
Outstanding among the new rules IL
one that provides for representation
af ratnorities In grievance cases. ms
does away with tho provisions OF the
old national agreement that enforced
the closed shop" In theory at 1east |
II establishes the open shop" princl-
nle in tho railroads OF the country ;.
0noositton TO this rule on the part OF
the unions is considered certain.
The principle OF collective bargain
ing ts recognized IN the new rules, as
in the transportation act.
Greater efficiency and economy IN
The operation OF the railway shops IL
the effect claimed for the rules In
statement issued by the board I'm :
portant instances OF changes enecteo
are:
Afachinists performing repairs may
connection or coupling necessary 10
repair machinery or equipment.
unskilled laborers may dismanue Q
wooden freight cars.
Engineers. fremen and cranesHn en-
may make necessary repairs on the
lines OF the road when qualified to DO
SO.
Boilermakers' helpers may remove
~ 1e0lare crates.
Classification OF sheet metal work
ers. electricians and carmen Is widen
ed to assign much work heretofore re-
stricted to them TO their helpers or
men of other crafts where neeus OF
the road require It.
Wrecking crews formerly restricted
TO carmen may be made up of other
men where there are not enough car
men available.
A new class OF apprentice known as
special apprentices" composed Of
youths from Is to 2s years old. who
have had technical school training Is
established.
In the old agreement restrictions
applied IN each OF the above rules and
in many others. that the railroads
claimed imposed unnecessary burdens.
financial and otherwise. upon them l..
Under the new rules transfer OF men
from one class of work TO another is
permitted with far greater freedom.
One hundred and forty eight new
rules were promulg ated by tho board .
They became effective today. This
decision completes the work of the
board with regard to working rules
and paves tine way for Immediate con
sideration Of matters effecing the
wages OF railroad employees. Tho de-
cision was by unanimous vote OF the
members Of the board.
Unions effected by the decision are
the six shop crafts organizacions-the
carmen. sheet metal workers, ma
chinists. blacksmiths. boilermakers
and electrical workers. The so-called
big four" brotherhoods. the teleg-
raphers and the maintenance Of way
employees are not concerned with the
present rules but operate under a sep
arate code.
The shopcrafts unions have contend
ed ever since the question Of working
rules and wages became an issue In
railway circles. that the question OF
rules was more important than wages
Upon their acceptance for rejection of
the new code hinges the question of
peace In labor circles. A new crisis
as acute as tho general strike which
threatened Oct. so. lost, may re-
suit should the shop crafts unions re-
ject the new agreement.