Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1921-12-03
100000 Men Affected by
Order Effective Thursday.
SuppIants Agreement En-
tered Into in 1920

the United States railroad labor
board. The decision supplanted the
agreement entered into by the en-
ployes and the United States rail-
road administration, September 20,
1919.
The rules were passed unanimous
ly by the board, including the vote
Of A. o. Wharton, of the labor
group, who cast a dissenting vote
upon the last wage cut.
One of the most important changes
was the permitting of apprentices
to do certain repair work formerly
restricted to journeymen in that
craft. Another change provided for
representation of minorities in the
presentation of grievances to meet
the contention of the railroads that
old national agreements practically
forced a closed shop on the railroad.
It will result in an estimated an
nual payroll saving of $50, 100000 to
the railroads and form the basis
upon which adjudication of all flu
ture wage disputes between rail-
roads and their employees Will be
based.
The new rules become effective
Thursday, December /, and take
jurisdiction over approximately AGO.
900 men Immediately, although a
still larger number will be affected
when the normal traffic conditions
are restored.
Ear-reaching changes in the rules,
which supplant the national agree
ment made during federal control,
were designed to afford a basis for
permanent stability in the railroad
shops of the country and were de-
clared by members of the labor
board to be the most important
work yet done by the board and OF
much greater significance than any
decision in the past, even including
wage scale adjustments.
Expect Economies
Large economies are expected to
result from revision Of the classi-
fication rules, which were made
more elastic, and hereafter will per-
nit members Of certain crafts to
do minor jobs previously done by
members Of other crafts. Stat1stl-
clans attached to the labor board
estimated that economies in opera
ton, increased efficiency and larger
output, would approximate $5O,O0O,-
900 a year.
Provision for the representation
of minorities who may have griev-
ances is another important item OF
the new rules. Under the national
agreement, negotiation for employees
was placed almost wholly In the
hands Of labor organizations, with
the result that the railroads and
many industrial and civic institu-
tons declared that the agreement
forced a closed union shop on the
roads. Non-union men found it i'm
practicable to attempt to bring their
grievances before the board and as
the rules worked out, union officials
handled the cases, taking their prec-
edent from the national agreement
negotiations in which union officials
acted for the employees in drawing
up the agreement under federal con-
troll.
1.-THE principle of the open shop
established by the new rules" a
statement by board members said,
twill, in fact, be more theoretical
than practical at the present time,
since "a large majority of the rail-
road shops are unionized and the
existing unions are recognized by
the board and by the transportation
act as representative of the major
ity.
"Most of the older working rules.
functioned by the experience OF
years, are preserved in full effect.
Many of the more rigid rules, how
ever, were considerably relaxed IN
favor of the roads, although the rec
ognized rights of the men are fully
protected and the principle OF col
lective bargaining and union recog'
nization is retained, as contemplated
by the transportation"
The rules controversy dates back
to May 1, 1920, when the railroads
emerged from government control
Strenuous objections to the national
agreement were made in hearing
which began January 10, 1921. After
several months of testimony, the
rules were referred back to the in
dividual roads with instructions to
negotiate such new rules as they
could with their employees to replace
the federal government rules.
Rules More Elastic
Numerous rules were thus agrsea
upon on individual roads, but on
no road was it possible to draft an
entire new set. The rules disagreed
upon were then sent back to the la
| Dor board, and the rules promul
gated today will replace any such
rules not agreed upon by the roads
and their employees. In any case
where a rule has been agreed upon
by the carrier and it's employees, that
rule governs, even though the labor
board rule may be entirely differ
ent.
The majority Of the changes eff
| fected by the new rules is in the
classification of the work to be per
| formed by the various crafts. AL
most without exception these CLASH
| fications are made more elastic. I'm
der previous agreements with the
shop crafts, including the nationa
agreement, it has been the custom
| to define in detail the various types
| Of work belonging to each craft.
| The carriers have complained thai
| the national agreement set up II
such minute detail the classified
ton Of duties that work not requir
| ing specialized skill in any Graf
was assigned exclusively to par
ticular craft. For example work no
| requiring a mechanics skill was as
| signed to a skilled mechanic, thu:
making efficient ana economical OPP
Grafton impossible, according to thu
| railroads.
The rules effective today broader
the scope Of each crafts work. Thu
machinist working on running re
pairs may connect or disconnect any
wiring, coupling or pipe connections
necessary to repair machinery OF
equipment. This work was previous
ly assigned to electricians and shee
metal workers only.
Under the new rules, engineers
firemen and cranesmen are not pro
hibited from making such repairs
to equipment on the lines Of thu
road as they are qualified to per
form. The new rules thus ALLOW
train operatives to perform repair
work even though it is ordinarily
| considered shop mechanics work.