The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1921-06-01
DECREASE ORDERED
IN RAILWAY WAGES
DECREE TO BE HANDED DOWN
WILL CUT s4oo, 900, 600 FROM
BILL-AVERAGE OF TWELVE
PER CENT. AFFECTS MANY
ORGANIZATIONS COMMON
LABOR'PAYS ..

LABOR'PAYS ,.
Chicago, May 31.--An estimated
$400, 900 will be slashed from
the nations railway wage bill when,
an order cutting wages an average
of IL per cent to be- handed down
tomorrow by the United States rail
road labor board, becomes effective
July l. The order affects members Of
81 labor organizations, employed on
IO4 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 ap-
piled to any other road asking a
hearing under the provisions Of the
Esch- -Cummins transportation act.
Percentage of reductions computed
by members of the board gave the
average of IL per cent, and the
same source estimated the annual
reduction in wages at approximate
ly $4O0, 100000.
The decision grants reductions
ranging from 5 to 1s per cent, and
in the case Of section laborers, COM
pletely wipes out the increase grant
ed that class of employees by the
$6O0,000,000 wage award of July
20, 1920. For section men the reduc-
toin was approximately 18 per cent.
Switchmen and shop crafts were
given a 9 per cent reduction while
the train service men were cut ap-
proximately 7 per cent. Car repair
ers were cut about 10 per cent.
.. Common Labor Pay - -.
Common labor pay, over which
the railroads made their hardest
fight, is to be reduced to 8 1-2
cents an hour, cutting freight truck
ems average monthly wages to $97.10
and track laborers to Still. This
new schedule gives section men an
average daily wage of s3.O2 for an ..
eight hour day, although consider
able testimony offered by the roads,
particularly in thee South showed q
common labor wages as low as $3.50
for ten hour day.
Shop crafts employees and train
and engine service men, except
those in passenger service, are re-
duced eight cents an hour. Construc-
tion and section foremen are re
duced 10 cents an hour. ~
Passenger and freight engineers
who were given increases of 10 and
13 cents an hour by the 1920 award,
are to be cut six and eight cents an
hour respectively. Passenger and
freight conductors who received in
creases of IL IL and Is cents in
1920 are cut 7 1-2 and cents, re-
spectively, by the new schedule.
Train dispatchers and yardmas-
ters whose monthly earnings at pre-
sent average $3.50 to S27O are cut
eight cents an hour.
| The smallest reduction will apply
to Office boys and other employees
under 18 years of age, who will re-
ceive five cents an hour less after
July l..
Clerks are reclassmed so that en-
tering clerks, usually young men
and women of 18 to 20 years Of
age will receive a monthly salary Of
$67.5O for the first six months and
$77.50 for the second six months of
service. Clerks with less than one ,
years experience now receives $120.
A new monthly schedule for
floating equipment employees on
ferries, tugs and steam lighters
,ives captains 5000, engineers $1s0,
iremen and oilers, s14O. On light
ers and barges, captains will receive
s12O 40 $3.50; engineers $140 TO
$3.50, and mates $100. u
Effective Next Month
The attitude of the railway uni ions
.oward the decreases ordered re-
mains to be determined. The big
brotherhoods are expected to meet
here July 1, to consider the boards
decision which is effective on that
date.