Daily Kennebec journal., 1921-12-01

equipment 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
ii is ordinarily considered shop me-
chanic's work.
Boiler makers helpers under the
new rules are given the job OF re-
moving and replacing CRATES. Under
the National Agreement all crate rig
ging work was assigned to journey
men boiler makers.
The classification of the work OF the
sheet metal workers, electrical work
ers 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 rnechan-
les in other crafts, where the needs OF
the service require it. Under the
National Agreement car men were
exclusively assigned to wreckins
crews. Under the new rules, wreck
ing crews exclusive of engineers. will
be composed of car men. where suf-
ficient men are available but when
needed, men of any class may be taxi
en- as additional members 'of wreck
ing crews.
Another important change affect
ing car men is that which allows COM
mon 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 coun-
built nf u0Od
The new rule will permit employees
getting s325 to $500 day to do work
previously required to be done by car
men receiving s5.s4 a day.
An entirely new rule promulgated
by the board. for the first time, Gre
ates a new type of apprentice to be
known as special apprentice" Pre-
viously there have been only two
kinds of apprentices in the skilled
shop crafts, regular and helpers ap-
rrentices. Regular apprentices are
youths entering the service between
the ages of 16 and 81 years and serv-
ing four years apprenticeship. and
helper apprentices are those appren-
tices selected from the ranks of the
helpers. Special apprentices are to
be selected from young men between
the ages Of IS and &c, who have had a
technical school education. and they
will be required to serve only three
years' apprenticeship before becom-
ing journeymen mechanics.
Rules which required certain stand
ards of force and equipment to be
maintained for doing certain kinds of
1.
discontinued. thus eliminating the
expense of maintaining unnecessary
men on the rolls. Other rules have
been changed to allow the use of
forces assigned to particular classes
of work on other work. when there
| is no work of their particular class to
| be performed.
Many of the rules arc highly tech
nical in character. Much time was
/ spent on the rules regarding electr-
! cal railroads, which at present apply
! only to a few roads like the Pennsyl-
I vania and New York Central but
! which will become of increasing i'm
! portance as the clectrifcation of the
/ steam lines proceeds
! The six shop crafts employees in
| volved are the carmen, sheet metal
workers, machinists, blacksmths.
\ hoilcrmakers and electrical workers.
/ They were represented at the rules
| bearings by the following orEaniza-
! tions: Brotherhood of Railway Car
men of America, International Ali
ance Of Amalgamoted Sheet Metal
| Workers, international Association Of
Machinists. International Brother
hood of Blacksmiths, Drop Forgers
and Helpers International Brothcr-
] hood of Boilarmakors. Iron Ship
! Builders and Helpers of America. and
| the Interrat tional Brotherhood OF
| Electrical Workers. All these are
affiliated with the American Fedora :
tion of Labor and are enrolled in the
| Railway Employees Department of
that orga niZation.
| The National Agreement, suprlant-
cd today by the new rules, was en-
tered into with the employees by the
United States Railroad Administra- :
| ton September 90, 1919. From the
first it was strongly criticized by the
| railroad manaEcmcnts and others be-
| cause they contendcd 1t imposed un-
! economic methods of operation on the
! railroads, limited The discretion and
| control of the management and
| greatly increased tho cost of opera
tion. The railroads also complained
that they had no voice in making the
| National Agreement which they de-
clared was wished on them" by the
| Railroad Administration. The en-
! rloyes have maintained that very
| large part Of the National Agreement
had been put into effect on various
railroads, prior to Federal control, by
! the voluntary act Of the manage
ments, and that it fairly represented
| current enlightened thought of the
! carriers and employees as TO working
| conditions and rules.
| In two previous decisions the board
| disposed Of 2i shop craft rules main
/ ly concerning overtime pay. Today's
| decision practically completes the
| rules for these crafts. with the ex-
! ccption Of a few minor matters on
which agreement is probable These
| the board has referred back to the
roads and the employees for settle
| ment by them.