The Hartford herald. [volume] (Hartford, Ky.) 1875-1926, 1921-06-08
RAILWAY VASES ARE
PARf0 ;400,00o,o0o
Boards Decision Effective July
LIST; All Classes Are
Affected

$500 100000 will be slashed from
the nations railway wage bill when
an order cutting wages an average
of IL per cent, handed down today
by the United States Railroad La
Dor Board, becomes effective July 1.
The order affects members of thirty
one labor organizations employed
on 104 railroads.
While the decrease is specifically
applied only to the roads whose
cases have been heard by the board.
the decision says it may later be APP
piled to any other road asking a
hearing under the provisions of the
transportation act.
Percentages of reductions COM
puted by members of the board gave
the average of IL per cent and the
same source estimated the annual
reduction in wages at approximately
$500 900, 900.
Labor Recently Reclassified
The Railroad Labor Board recent
ly reclassifed the various employees
connected with railway operations,
and this, it was pointed out, may
have some effect on labor costs.
The board also, few weeks ago,
ordered abrogation of the national
working agreements, to become eff
fective July 1. At the hearing on
the petition for abrogation of these
agreements, railroad witnesses esti
mated savings in labor cost as high
as 100000, 900 annually. This
would be in addition to the saving
possible through the current wage
reduction decision.
The decision grants reductions va
rying from 5 to IS cents an hour,
or from to IS per cent, and in the
case of section laborers completely
wipes out the increase granted that
class of employees by the 100000
900 wage award of July 20, 1920.
For section men the reduction was
approximately Is per cent. Switch
men and shop crafts receive a 9 per
cent reduction while the train SER
vice men were cut approximately Z
per cent. Car repairers were cut
about 10 per cent.
Common labor pay, over which the
railroads made their hardest fight.
is to be reduced to S1a cents an
hour. cutting freight truckers aver
age monthly wages to $97.1O and
track laborers to Still. This new
schedule gives section men an aver
age daily wage of $S.O2 for an eight
hour day, although considerable
testimony offered by the roads,
particularly in the South, showed
common labor wages as low as $3.50
for ten-hour day.
Eight Cents an Hour Cut
Shop crafts employees and train
and engine service men. except those
in passenger service, are reduced 8
cents an hour. Construction and
section foremen are reduced 10 cents
an hour.
Passenger and freight engineers
who received increases Of 10 and IL
cents an hour under the 1920 award
are to be cut 6 and cents an hour.
respectively. Passenger and freight
conductors who received increases of
I'm and IS cents in 1920 are cut
TN and cents. respectively by the
new schedule.
Train dispatchers and yardmas-
tiers whose monthly earnings at
present average $3.50 to 1910 are
cut 8 cents an hour. L,
The smallest reduction will apply
to Office boys and other employees un-
der Is years old. who will receive
s cents an hour less after July l.
Clerks are reclassified SO that en-
tering clerks, usually young men and
women of 10 to 20 years of age.
will receive a monthly salary of
t67.50 for the first six months and
$77.50 for the second six months of
service. Clerks with less than one
years experience now receive $40.