The Wheeling intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1903-1961, 1921-12-19
.B|G RAIL ISSUE To CONE Up
FOR DECISION BY LABOR BOARD
Right of Railroads to Let Out
Work By Contract to Be
Considered in Hearin 6
Opening Today at Chicago.

ChIcaso. I've. lN-ThS right Of the
railway rulu'.ln;cs 70 contract work 10
firms or .ul.y!du,l.s removed FROM he
! Jurisdiction nE the United states Ha'.-
road Labor Board VII come up Tor ted-
cral Investigation when disputes on nine
railroads are heard before the board TO-
morrow The. controversies .HN"'Ee car
and locomotive repairs WORK, track anu
common labor jobs
The action IN each case was brought
bv employees organizations. whose mem
bers formerly I'D the work now being
done by outside hrW1 under contract.
In most cases. tHr wages paid by the
contracting firms ara lass than those
specified tnr railway employees. q S't"A-
ton which, the unions contend, ~ once
throws their Grcu out OF work ana re-
moves wage and working regulations
from the Jurisdiction % thr labor board.
Typical Case
VIA. - REGARDED ~ TYPICAL test case
Is that OF the Federated ship E:1'iS
agalnS; the FRI Railroad. wA."h has
leased its repair work on cars and loco
motives at Horned y. Y. - tho Hornet
Construction company. The shop unions
contend that wages have been arhi-
trarily reduced by tho construction conf
! pany below the scale set BY ;"e labor
board
The shop Crafts have also brought
action against the Chicago Great West
! ern Railroad over the contracting or
car repair work at South Park. MINI.
! The road has notified the shop unions
| that unless they would agree 70 eStAo-
lishuent OF a piece work system OF pay.
IL would 30 necessary u p!ac" the
repair work under = Contractual basis.
Such action was not permissible under
the Nationa, Agreement by which the
carrier Was bound until the recent ne"
shop rules wcrG promulgated ny me
, board. according 70 the employees con-
ter;lon. Tho road. however. declared =
: - fuliy within its right and says the
question cannot be made subject or
! dispute under the TRANSFORMATION Act.
Two cases have been brought BY tho
American Federation OF Railroad Work.
ers and the International brotherhood
of Firemen and Oilers. the first over con
tracing Of track labor on the Fits
burgh & Lake Erie at CunNcllsv!lle. Pa.
and the other involving IN" contracting
Of unloading coal ut coal chutes on the
Great Northern railroad.
Charl"tcrj2Ing tho cases regarding
contract work a tho most important 70
the emploves. the integrity % the Labor
board and the Huhll'. that have ever
been submitted for decision. Frank +
WALSH. counsel cor the shop crafts or
ranizatlon. IN a statement tonight said
that " the railroads are successful IN
their contention Il Will mean the de-
struct!on OF the railway labor board.
Conspiracy Alleged.
The railroads are in 4 nationwide
conspiracy 70 avoid the provisions OF
the transportation act - FAR MS II safe
guards tho rights Of the railway EN-
ploves AID the public by pretending
that they are contracting and leasing
out 10 sub-coDtractors and padrones the
most important function In the opera
ton Of the railroads. Mr.. Walsh said.
The employees claim that the alleged
private contracts are crooked devices TO
dodge the clear provisions or the trans
portation act
/ THE so-caued private contractors are
pretending not only to actually main
tain IN. rights OF way q the railroads.
but independent OF railroad control 10
have charge OF the re1airs and mainten'
aace OF equipment OF the railroads, IN
. GLIDING the safety devices upon which
the lives and limbs Of the travelling puo-
lie must depend fNr safety.
I'm order 70 avoid the provisions OF
the transportation act favorable 70 their
employees and the public. the railroads
boldly assert that they have surrendered
a great part of the duties and functions
imposed upon them by their charters.
They claim that they have turned these
duties over 10 the myriad OF private con-
tractors. individuals and corporations
the majority perhaps being without
financial responsibility, and many OF
them shown to have had no previous
railroad experience.
The railroad companies have succeed
ed In covering their tracks in many
parts Of the country. but this hearing
should rip the lid or the cnt.r" CON
splracy Unless the law reaches in with
! strong hand the general public VIII
be left open to exploitation In a manner
unparalleled In the worst day OF rail-
road abuse and gratt.
"The railroads are attempting. under
The scheme. a device OF private contracts
10 farm out 70 alleged private contract
ors the work hitherto performed hy APP
proxmately one million Of the railway
employees OF the country In their shop
and maintenance OF way departments
II they succeed IN This adventure Il
Twill mean thea bsolute destruction OF
the railroad labor board and expose the
already overbUrd"n"d public 70 tho un-
checked rapacIty OF the railroads and
their conSederates in the advancing
army or private contractors