The Ordway new era., 1921-02-18
LABOR RULES COST
ROADS MILLIONS

No"h fuiWay operating ex-
penses."
This is the keynote Of the case pre-
sented by the railroads to the United
states Railroad Labor Board, now In
session In Chicago.
The railroads have submitted EVIL
dence to the board to show why the
National Agreements affecting railway
shop labor should be abrogated, be-
lieving that this 10 vitality important
step in the process Of reducing on.
Grating expenses.
This step is not only necessary to
insure adequate earning power to the
railroads, but will make possible an
ultimate reduction in rates.
The agreements were made BY the
Railroad Administration Just before
the end of Federal control. The sum
total Of the rules and working condI-
tions provided by the National Agree
ments have increased the operating
expenses Of the railroads by hundreds
of millions. and have decreased the
efficiency and output Of the employees
In other ways resulting in losses
which cannot be calculated in dollars
and cents.
For several weeks the railroads
have been multiplying instances Of the
absurd and extravagant results Of the
labor rules fastened upon them by the
National Agreements:
In one case cited before the board
machinist was paid 1871 hours wages
for work all performed within eight
hours. This case Illustrated the effect
n hot ooy, tba
worker is to be paid five hours wages
even If he works only ten minutes.
The case Of car repairer on the
Virginian Railway, who was recently
paid over $1,000 for services which
were never rendered, and in addition
the same amount of overtime as was
made by his gang. was another exam
pie.
In connection with the rule that
none but mechanics or apprentices
shall do mechanics work, the follow
ing was cited to indicate its unfair
ness:
Five Hours Pay for 80 Minutes Work
"The Ell Paso & Southwestern Rail-
road recently had an engine set out at
Douglas, and about the time 1t was
ready to go to its train II developed
that a window light was broken in the
cab. 1t was necessary for the foreman
to call carpenter to do the work that
he could have performed himself in
few minutes. The train was delayed
one hour and 80 minutes, and the en-
ployee called to do the work was paid
five hours for work requiring 80 min
utes."
THE inefficiency createdin infiexible
application of the rules contained in
the agreements In qTestion was Illus
trated In the following actual case
which recently occurred on the Balti-
more & Ohio Railroad:
.An engine was placed in the
shops for certain repairs. Because
of the provisions of the National
Agreement, 1t was necessary that
members of five crafts perform
parts Of this work; formerly, the
entire operation was performed by
the members of but two crafts"
$500, 900 for Work Not Performed
How the railroads Of the country
were compelled to pay almost $6,5OO.-
600 in the first six months of 1920 for
service not rendered because Of the
effects of but one Of the 1872 rules in
cluded in the Shop Crafts National
Agreement was shown In the testi-
mony.
This punitive payment for work new
er performed was required by clause
In the National Agreement, which pro-
vides that when employees are re-
uuired to check in and out on their
own time they will be paid one hour
extra at the close Of each week.
The rigid classifcations of labor,
when taken In connection with the
rule that requires that a man must
have four years experience before. be-
ing employed to perform any Of the
! work listed In them, result In paying
. rates applicable to men who are sup
posed to be fully qualified for work
which does not require amen Of four
years experience.
To illustrate how the infiexibilities
NJ many Of the rules now enforced op-
crate to mulct the railroads OF large
sums for services which In the alb
sence of these rules could be obtained
for relatively moderate sums. evidence
was laid before the Labor Board show
ing that three men who were em-
nloyed at small pumping station in
Michigan, performing unskilled work,
would. when classified under the rules,
receive an excess Of pay amounting
IN more than the value Of all the wa
ter pumped and current generated at
this station.
The Chicago testimony contains lit
sre,lv hundreds Of instances such a.