The labor journal. [volume] (Everett, Wash.) 1909-1976, 1921-06-03
KNIFE FELL ON
THE PAY ROLL
OF RAILROADS

The Railroad Wage Board has
stuck the pairing knife into 2,000,-
900 railroad workers. The reduc-
tion will take effect on the first
day of July.
After one year of extravaganza
and graft the private "owners" of
railroads propose now to squeeze
S400,000,000 annually from the en-
ployees of the railroads in the Unit
ed States.
Under the award. the average
railrOader's pay will be $125,
compared to Sal a month as
at present.
In making the award the board
declared that during government
control of railroads, wages had in
creased from an average of $78 in
December, 1917, to SIG a month
in January, 1920. Subsequent
awards of the board increased this
average to the Sal monthly aver
age existing now. This, the board
stated, was an average increase of
81 per cent to all employees and an
increase of over 100 per cent to
unskilled laborers over the wages
received prior to government con-
troll.
The decision, while returned on
New York Central Railroad Com
pany ct al against the Brotherhood
of Railway and Steamship Clerks,
involved 72 trunk systems and 81
subsidiary "short lines" 1t also
applied to 81 distinct unions, in
cluding the four great brother
hoods.
The schedule for each set of en-
ployes was as follows:
Floating Equipment
Tug and ferry captains, reduced
to 5000 month.
Tug and ferry engineers, re-
duced to $3.50 a month.
Corresponding reductions for tug
and ferry owners.
Lighter captains, reduced to $120
and $l35 a month
Lighter engineers, reduced to
$3.50 and $3.50 a month.
Train Service
Conductors, baggagemen, flagmen
and brakemen:
In passenger service, reduced S18
a month.
In freight service, reduced Ga
cents per 100 miles or per day, ac-
cording to method of pay compen-
sation.
In suburban service, reduced 90
cents a day, or $1S a month.
Engineers, firemen and helpers;
In passenger service, reduced AS
cents per 100 miles or per day.
In freight service, reduced Ga
cents per 100 miles or per day.
In yard service, reduced s cents
per hour.
Telegraphers and agents in tele-
graph stations, reduced cents per
hour.
Agents in non-telegraph stations,
reduced 5 cents per hour.
Shop Employees
All supervisory employees and
workmen of all crafts having less
than four years experience and APP
prentices reduced 8 cents per hour.
Maintenance of way employees:
All employees in this department
are reduced 10 cents per hour, with
a few exceptions. The exceptions
are:
Mechanic helpers and associated
employees reduced 71s cents per
hour.
Track and common laborers, re-
duced S1a cents per hour.
Drawbridge tenders, cross ing
watchmen and flagmen, hosting
firemen, bumpers and pumper en-
gineers, reduced S12 cents per hour.
Clerical Force
Storekeepers, chief clerks and all
supervisory forces, reduced 6 cents
per hour.
Clerks with two years expert
ence, reduced 6 cents per hour
Clerks with one year, but less
than two years experience, re-
duced 13 cents per hour.
Clerks with less than one years
experience, reduced 6lR cents per
hour.
New clerks, inexperienced, to get
$67.50 the first six months and
$77.50 the second six months.
Callers, announcers and other
station employees, reduced 10 cents
per hour.
Janitors and watchmen, reduced
10 cents per hour.
Office boys, reduced cents per
hour.
The only exception to the gen
eral reductions are employees earn