The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1921-12-01
NEW WORK RULES.
CONTINUED from Page IL


which were made more elastic and here
after viii permit members of certain
crafts 10 do minor jobs previously done
by members of other crafts. Statisticians
attached to the labor board estimated
that economies in operation, increased
efficiency and larger output, would APP
proximate SJ00eo 900 a year.
MinOrities Recognized
Provision for the representa- ton of mi
noritieS who may have grievances. is an
other important item of the new rules
Under the national agreement. aegotia-
ton for employees was placed almost
wholly in the hands of labor organiza-
tons, with the result that the railroads
and many industrial and civic institutions
declared that the agreement forced
closed union ship on the roads. Nom
union men found it impracticable to at
tempt 10 bring their grievances before the
board and as the rules worked out. union
officials handled the cases, taking their
precedent from the national agreement
negotiations in which union officials acted
for the employees in drawing up the agrees
Inent under federal control.
Tan DO Some Work
The rules effective today broaden the
scope of each crafts work. The maehin-
list working on running repairs may con-
meet or dIScoHnect any wiring, compiling
or pipe connections necessary to repair
machinery or equipment This work was
previously assigned to electricians and
sheet metal workers only.
Under the new rules, engineers. Ere
men and cranesnen are not prohibited
from making such repairs to equipment
on the lines of the road as they are quail
ified to perform. The new rules thus al
low train operatives to perform repair
work even though it is ordinarily consid-
cred shop mechanics work.
prTl boil H.
rules are given the job of removing and
replacing CRATES. Under the national
agreement all CRATE rigging work was as
sign esh tor iomFHeKmen. baiisTi max gEl IA +.
Provides WreeIsing Crews a..,'
The classification OF the work of the
sheet metal workers, electrical workers
and car men has been changed to allow
some Of the work previously performed
by them exclusively to be done by their
helpers and to mechanics in other crafts,
where the needs of the service require it.
Under the national agreement car men
We're exclusively assigned TO wrecking
crews. Under the new rules, wrecking
crews exclusive of engineers. will be COM
posed of car-meu. where sufficient men
are available but when needed men Of
any class may be taken as additional
members of wrecking crews.
Another important change affecting car
men is that which allows common labor
crS to dISnantIe wooden freight cars
hereafter Under the national agree
ment. only qualified carpenters were al
lowed TO do this work. About IS per
cent Of the country'S freight cars are
built of wood The new rule will permit
employees getting S3,25 20 $500 a day to
do work previously required to be done by
car men receiving S5.Si a day.
New Type of Apprentice
An entirely new rule promulgated by
the board. for the first time creates a new
type Of apprentice to be known a. spec
ial apprentice" Previously there have
Eeen only two kinds of apprentices in the
skilled shop crafts. regular and helpers
apprentices. Regular apprentices are
youths entering the service between the
ages OF 10 aud q years and serving four
years apprenticeship, and helper appreE-
tees are those apprentices selected from
the ranks of the helpers. Special appren-
tees are to be selected from young men
between the ages of Is and 20, who have
had, technical school education. and they
viii be required to serve only three years
apprenticeship before becoming journey
men mechanics.
Rules which required certain stand
ards of force and equipment 10 be main
i tanned for doing certain kinds of work
have been modified and some discontinued,
thus eliminating the expense of maintain
ing unnecessary men on the rolls. Other
rules have been changed to allow the use
of forces assigned 10 particular classes
of work on other work, when there is no
work of their particular class to be per