The Leader, enterprise and press. (Fitzgerald, Ga.) 1915-1921, 1921-01-31
A. B. & A. WAGE CUT
MERELY SUSPENDED
Labor Board Did Not Void Re
duction Order, Says Bugg
TO DECIDE FEBRUARY ID
IT in Favor of Roads, Reduction
" Be Retroactive

Atlanta, Fell -The decision OF
the United Mes Railroad Labor
Board in the~Atlanta, Birmingham
and Atlantic wage reduction case, ham
ded down in Chicago Thursday, does
not require that notice of a reduction
in wages be withdrawn by the COM
pany before further action is taken
but simply leaves the situation in stat
us quo until the case can be heard fir
ally at session of the board to be held
In Chicago FEBRUARY 10, according to a
statement issued Saturday by Col.
3. L. Bugg, president of the road.
Mr.. Bugg attended the hearing of
the board in Chicago, where the De-
titlon of the head officers of the four
teen railroad brotherhoods was pre-
sented, and brought to Atlanta with
him Saturday copies of the decision
OF the board, with copies of the petit
tons tiled by the brotherhood heads.
Officers of the brotherhoods. acting
Tor the employees of the Atlanta.
Birmingham and Atlantic, objected to
the notice of the proposed reduction
In wages being allowed to remain in
force. They commended that before
the railroad officials could give any
such notice that the matter should
be submitted to the Federal Board.
In discussing the decision of the
board Saturday, Mr.. Bugg declared
his line was not instructed to with
draw the notice of a decrease in
wages. He said the matter rests
now with the notice still in force.
Decision of Board
The decision of the board reads
that no changes OF any kind can
be made in the situation except bv
agreement between the railroad and
its employees" said Mr.. Bugg.
He furnished the following opinion
of the board:
Resolved, in case of disputes which
have arisen between the Atlanta. Bir-
mingham and Atlantic Railway Com
pany and its employees, by reason of
the carrier havin given 80 days no.
tice to employees in the various
classes of its service, of certain re-
auctions in their rates of pay, which
would be made effective Eebuary 1st,
1921;
"rhat objection having been made
by the employees and a dispute hav-
ing arisen iii regard to the proposed
reduction, and the matter having been
brought before the board, the board
decides that no change of any kind
shall be made except by agreement
between the parties until the dispute
is heard and opportunity given for the
board to decide.
"The board will proceed with the
further hearing and consideration of
the case, and sets FEBRUARY 10 as the
date for further such presentation of
eVidene or argument as the parties
may desire to offer.
In the meantime the board sug-
gests further conference between the
partie and an effort on their part to
agree on a ettlement.
Decision FEBRUARY 10.
Discussing this decision, Mr.. Bugg
said the Federal Board will have op-
portunity to decide the case at its
hearing which begins FEBRUARY 10 in
Chicago, in time for its effects to be
half of FEBRUARY.
In the original notice of wage re-
duction it was announced that a cut
would be made amounting to one half
of the increases received by the va
rious classes since December, 1917
When notice of the proposed de-
creases were received head officers of
the international brotherhoods, after
visiting Atlanta, took the case before
the United States Railway Labor
Board