The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1921-03-10
RAIL EMPLOYEES
WIN WAGE FIGHT
Labor Board Refuses to Uphold
Arbitrary Pay Cuts.
SAYS ROAD VIOLATED RULES
Company Officials See Ray Of Hope in
Bodys Failure to Pass Upon the
business or Reasonableness of
Present Wages.

Chicago, March S.-RairOad EN-
ployees scored a victory when the de-
ciSion of the United States railroad
labor board was rendered in the case
of the maintenance Of way employees
against the Erie railroad. While rem
dering Judgment against the Erie Off
cials for arbitrary wage cuts the
board stated specifically in its opinion
that it was not passing upon the just
ness nor reaSonableness of present
wages in effect. In that qualifying
clause was seen a glimmer of hope by
the railroad executives that in due
course of time, with controversies
properly initiated, wage cuts among
common labor and possibly extending
through the ranks of railroad EN-
ployees may be put into effect.
Violation of Decision.
The Erie railroad was found to have
violated decision No. ? of the board in
the following respects:
BY deducting the January 81 earn
ings from the January earnings of all
monthly rated employees not consent
ing to such deductions,
by deducting OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES
of the February earning Of all month
ly rated employees, not consenting to
such deductions.
by deducting January 81 earnings
from the January earnings Of such
daily and hourly rated employees
classified prior to wage award as
monthly rated employees who have
not consented to such deduction.
"By deducting four-twenty- eighths
of the February earnings of the en-
ployees set out in the preceding para
graph who have not consented to such
deduction.
Reduces Pay Arbitrarily.
by arbitrarily reducing the wages
of track men to 30 cents per hour and
TO other hourly rates contrary to deci-
sion No. 2.
"By arbitrarily requiring train dis
patCherS to work seven days per week
for wages determined by this board in
decision No. . to be just and reason
able for six days work per week"
The board concluded by stating that
the decision rendered was not to be
construed as finding that the Erie
railroad had violated the decision in
any other respect.
Not Permanent Edict.
Despite the fact that the road had
been found guilty of violating decision
No. 2, the board in its opinion stated
that it was not the intention Of the
board that the decision should consti-
tute a permanent edict. Then the de-
cision continues:
"The carriers and the organizations
of their employees were left free by
that decision to negotiate such agree
ments as they saw fit, subject to the
power of this board to suspend any
such agreement if it should involve
such an increase in wage as would be
likely to neecssitate a substantial re-
adjustment of the rates of any carrier.
No restraint was attempted TO be
placed upon the power and legal duty
of the carriers and their employees, if
it was not possible to agree upon a re-
adjustment of wages, to refer the
dispute to this board for decision.
This board sits day and night to hear,
consider and decide such disputes. It
was the intention of the labor board,
however, that the rates found therein
to be just and reasonable should be
paid by carriers parties to the decision
until other rates should be agreed to
by the parties or until this board on
proper reference should determine
other wages to be just and reason
able"