The New York herald., 1921-03-08
RAILWAY LABOR
BOARD FINDS ERIE
VIOLATED AWARD
Wages Reduced Without
Authorization and RestO-
ration Order Ignored.
LEGAL METHOD CITED
Decision Outlines Scheme
of Relief Carriers
Must Use.
ROADS MANAGER REPLIES
Reduced Wage Scale Necessary
and Will Be Continued,
Parsons Says.
MANAGER REPLIES

CHICAGO, March THE Railway
| Labor Board to-day ruled that the
Erie Railroad had violated previous
! board rulings in six respects, particu-
larly in reducing wages of employees
! and in falling TO cancel these reduc-
| tons when ordered to do so by the
| board. The road had contended that
! the board must hold a hearing before
ordering restoration of previous rates
of pay.
The railroad ordered q 27 per cent.
reduction in the pay of trackmen, ef-
fective February 1, and later ignored
the boards order to restore wages to
the rates ordered In the boards wage
decision of July, 1920
Victory for Employees.
The railroad set precedent by its
contention that hearing would have to
| be held on the board order to restore
the previous rates of pay. Had to-day's
! decision been favorable to the Erie it
would have opened the way for scores
Of similar contentious by other railroads,
ii was said.
The decision was regarded by labor
! men as clean cut victory for the en-
rloyees. the board upholding labor's con-
tention OF violation of the wage award
by the Erie In every instance
The decision did not again order the
road specifically to restore the wage
rates, but declared that when the Erie
shall have rescinded the orders consti-
tuting violation of decision number two
| and paid the wages determined by that
decision and shall have had or sought
conference with the employees, and
when. If 1t has not been reasonably
possible to decide the dispute in confer
ence, this board will hear such dispute
and decide what wages are now just
and reasoable.
This board cannot now consider In
this proceeding what wages are now just
and reasonable for the employees con-
cerned herein" the decision continued.
This proceeding s to determine whether
or not there has been a violation by this
carrier OF decision number two
Specified Violations.
The six specified violations of the wage
decision by the Erie were named as fol-
lows:
by deducting the January 81 earn
ings from the January earnings of all
monthly rated employees not consenting
TO such deductions.
by deducting four twenty-eighths of
the February earnings of all monthly
rated employees.
by deducting January 81 earnings
from the January earnings OF such daily
and hourly rated employees classified
prior to wage awards as monthly rated
employees.
"By deducting four twenty-eighths OF
the February earnings of employees II,
the preceding violation. These four viola.
tions resulted from the Erie's order that
all salaried employees should deduct one
days pay each week beginning with
January 81.
by arbitrarily reducing the wages of
traclSnen to thirty cents an hour and
to other hourly rates contrary to de-
cision number two.
"By arbitrarily requiring train des-
patchers to work seven days a week
for wages determined by this board to
be just and reasonable for six days
work"
Cites Legal Method.
The position of the board regarding
the question OF inability of the road to
pay the wages ordered. which has been
the chief point OF dispute in several re-
cent cases. was clearly set forth In to-
days decision.
1T Is the Judgment OF this board"
the decision said. that no carrier may.
without violating the spirit and letter Of
decision No. 2, in case its revenue for
any month should be estimated to be
insufficient TO meet It's expenses for
labor and material for that month. arbi-
trarily appropriate 70 itself wages due
its employees in such amount as to make
expenses for labor and material equal
or exceed revenues for that month
There Is a simple, orderly and legal
method open to all carriers to obtain
appropriate relief in case they are of the
opinion that the wages fixed by decision
No. are not just and reasonable. If.
after failure OF conference with en-
ployees 70 decide a dispute. the carrier
is able to show that the wages fixed are
not now Just and reasonable. this board
will decide what wages are just and rea-
/ ,a1AI Ia