Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1921-08-02
SHOP MEN
RETURNING TO WORK
IN LARGE NUMBERS
Company Says a Large Major
ity Agree to Piecework
Plan.
NO FRICTION is APPARENT

Everything is running smoothly at
the PENNSYLVANIA railroad shops reia-
tive to the piece work plan. according
to a statement made by one of the
railroad officials this morning. There
seems 10 have been some outside in
terferersce, officials say, and also
rumors have been circulated that
there has been friction between the
employes and employers of the rail-
road, b,n according to the statement
that was given out at the railroad Of
fees this morning. everything is shap-
ing up well and all Of the men who
have returned to work seem satisfied
with existing conditions. The shops
are slowly returning to n state of
normalcy and officials of the rail-
road say they soon expect to have
their full quota of 1000 men at work
in the shops. provided there is no in
terference with the piece work plan.
At the railroad Offices the men
say they do not quite understand what
the outside ,interfence expects TO gain,
as they say that If the men who are
interfering expect to stir up strike
they will surely be disappointed, as
their men arc satisfied. The rail-
road officials say they desire 10 deal
only with their own men.
When the railroad started to take
back some of their old men into the
shops they took a poll among them
to ascertain hosu many would work
under the piece work basis. The re
suit was that a majority OF the men
expressed their satisfaction with the
plan and agreed TO work under the
conditions which were governed by
it. The raiirnad then set August l a.
the date upon which they. would start
working on the piece work basis, The
piece work plan is not new by any
means. as it had been in effect in the
railroad shops for many years pre-
vious to the war. it is said.
The railroad then sent notice tC
the men, who had formerly been EN-.
ployed by it. to report to work. This
notice was semi TO about 800 men
/ These men. are reporting at the cal
shops daily and after bohng examines
are taken back to work provided tina
they agree to work under the piec'
work plan. UP TO date only 10 mel
have refused 10 accept these condi
/ tons. officials say.
| Conditions at the shops were norma
| yesterday and today and as soon a.
! the men reported they; were set Z,
work providing they passed the abov'
requirements
There were $40 men working yester
day and this number is being increas
ed daily. Many men have agreed L
accept the railroad terms who hay
not been employed by the company
These men are being refused worl
until the old employees of the railroa'
who were laid OF, have been given al
opportunity TO return undo. the ney
plan.
The rumors of trouble at the rail
road seem TO be nothing but mer
rumors, as nothing has developed In
} dicating trouble.
The piece work plan is said TO hav
met with satisfaction at the Altoon
shops, where ii has been in effect TO
about a month, and the railroad of
hcials say that as soon as the me
have worked under the system for tw
weeks they are sure they viii be sat
isIied with the plan.
II was stated at the railroad once
that as far as the men were bein
deprived OF part tnelr wages ps III
piece work plan was concerned tina
was absurd, as they were guarantee
minimum wage of 50 cents per hou
and any man was allowed the priv
! lege OF earning all over lnat sum tina
, he was able TO earn, being merely
case of the best man getting the bes
wages.
At a meeting of railroad shop worS
ers, last night, at the Labor Templ'
] il was rumored that only a small pei
centage of the men called back I
work agreed TO accept the plan, AT
that a number of those who slsne
piece-work pledges are addressin
letters TO T. b. Whitman. maste
: mechanic of the shops, insisting tina
their signatures be withdrawn q
: parties to the agreement, claiming the
! they signed under misapprehensiol
At the railroad Offices, however. it
!, stated that large majority are agree
ing to the new plan.