New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1921-07-13
Transit
W orkers Face
Cut i'm Wages
Reductions Foreshadowed
by Traction Officials
Range From 10 to 1919
p. c., Effective by Aug. s
Men Expected to Accept
Slash Will Save Roads &c.
100000 Yearly; Twelve
vi ont h s. Guaranty

general slashing of wages affect
ing more than $4,000 employees on
virtually all the transit lines operating
in the greater city was foreshadowed
by officials of the traction companies
yesterday.
The proposed cuts will take effect, if
finally accepted, between July "a and
August and range from 10 to -12h
per cent They are said to be general
ly acceptable to the workers and are
expected to effect total saving for all
the lines of approximately $6000,0O q
year.
Heads of the Interborough Rapid
Transit Company, Brooklyn Rapid
Transit Company and the New York
Railways Company said the question
of wage reductions at this time had
been matter of negotiation with their
employees for several weeks, and that
the latter had OH the whole shown a
disposition to accept a decrease. Lead
ers of the employees brotherhoods de-
clared the move was expected, and that
the men would accept the decrease as
inevitable.
On the smaller systems, where there
are no brotherhoods or agreements
with employees, officials said it was
planned to adopt the new schedules of
the big companies.
In asking the IA 500 workers of the
lnterborough to accept wage cut of
10 per cent at this time, despite the
fact that their agreement with the
company does not expire until Decem-
Der 81, Frank Hedley, president and
general manager of the system, re-
quested the men "to treat the company
as the company had treated the men,
He said the company had volunta rily
increased the pay of the employees
some time ago, when the cost Of living
had risen, although their contract had
not yet expired.
In a statement issued by President
Hedley he suggests that the cut take
effect on July "a. The statement reads y:
81 have laid before the men the
financial condition of the company and
have requested that they agree that
their wages, commencing on July %
shall be cut 10 per cent.
"It is true we had agreed to pay
the men their present wages until De
cember 81. However, some time ago
when the cost of living was rapidly
rising we had a contract with the men
not vet expired, but the company al
the request of the men voluntarily
made an increase.
Now the conditions are the reverse
and the company requests the men to
treat it the same as the company has
eated them
81 understand that this is being
considered and debated. I have COM
plete confidence in the cooperation of
the very large majority Of our men,
and we expect to receive their sup
port and aid in this matter"
Under the present scale of wages
r'otormen are getting Sc cents an hour,
guards So cents, laborers from 48 to
SO cents and the mechanical forces
from 65 to 80 cents. Seven locals OF
the Interborough Brotherhood, of
which Patrick j. Connolly is president,
all eady have voted to accept the de-
crease. The final votes are to be taken
on July %, two days before the COM
pNny proposes to put the new sched-
ue into effect.
Connolly said twenty-seven locals
composed principally of shop workers
and men in the mechanical divisions,
were yet to be heard from, but he had
no doubt that the vote would be over
whelmingly in favor of acceptance. 1t
appeared that the men feared whole
sale laying off of employees if they
did not consent to the read justment
Connolly added that if the reduction
is accepted the company has offered
to guarantee that there will be no re-
ductions until July l, 1922, six months
Continued on page fve>