Belington progressive. [volume] (Belington, W. Va.) 1912-1927, 1921-12-08
Large Economies Expected From
Working Changes.
ESTIMATED At S5Q,OOO,OOO.
Unnecessary Hereafter to Pay Top
Labor Price When Chapter Men Can
Do Job--Minorities Recognized by
Labor Board.

Chicago. Economies in opera
ton and increased efficiency, esti-I
mated to reach S50,000,O00 a year,
and recognition of the open shop" on
all American railroads were forecast
in the PRONUNCIATION of revised work.
ing rules governing railroad shop en-
ployes by the United States railroad
! labor board.
The new rules become effective at
once, and take jurisdiction over ap-
proximately 100000 men Immediately,
although still larger number will
be affected when the normal traffic
conditions are restored.
Large economies are expected to re-
suit from revision of the classification
rules, which were made more elastic,
and hereafter will permit members of
certain crafts to do minor jobs pre-
! viously done by members of other
crafts. Statisticians attached to the
! labor board estimated that economies
| in operation, increased efficiency and
larger output would approximate $780,
100000 year
Provision for representation of min
critics who may have grievance is an
! other important item of the new rules,
Under the national agreement, nego-t
tiations for employees was placed al
most wholly in the hands of labor or
ganizations, with the result that the
railroads and many industrial and
civic institutions declared that the
agreement forced a closed union shop
on the roads Non union men found
it impracticable to attempt to bring
their grievances before the board, and
as the rule worked out, union officials
handled the cases, taking their prece-
dent from the national agreement ne
gotiations in which union officials act
ed for the employees in drawing up
the agreement under federal control
The new rules, now effective, broad
ed the scope of each crafts work. The
machinist working on running repairs
may connect or disconnect any wiring,
coupAkg or pipe connections neces-
sary to repair machinery or equip
ment This work was previously as
signed to electricians and sheet metal
workers only.
| OuutI llie INV IultS, eng ottiS, uTb-
men and cranesmen are not prohibited
from making such repairs to equip
ment on the lines of the road as they
are qualified to perform The new
rules thus allow train operatives to
perform repair work even though 1t is
ordinarily considered shop mechanics
work.
Boiiermakers' helpers under the new
rules are given the job of removing
and replacing CRATES. Under the ma
tional agreement all crate rigging
work was assigned to journeymen
boilermakers.
The classification of the work of the
sheet metal workers, electrical work
ers and car men has been changed to
allow some work previously perform
ed by them exclusively to be done by
their helpers and by mechanics in
other crafts, where the needs of the
service require it. Under the nation
al agreement car men were exclusive
1y assigned to wrecking crews Under
the lew rules, wrecking crews, exclu-
sive of engineers, will be composed of
carmen, where sufficient men are
available, but when needed, men of
any class may be taken as additions.
members of wrecking crews.
Another important change affecting
car men is that which allows common
laborers to dismantle wooden freight
cars hereafter Under the national
agreement, only qualified carpenters
were allowed to do this work About
6S per cent of the country's freight
cars are built Of wood The new rule
will permit employees getting 1925 to
So day to do work previously re-
quired to be done by car men receiv-
ing 1854 a day.