New Ulm review., 1921-06-08
RAIL employees
WAGES ARE CUT
REDUCTION OF II PER CENT
BEGINS ON 1o4 ROADS
JULY FIRST.
EMPLOYEES AND OWNERS NOT
SATISFIED WITH NEW
SALE OF PAY.

.5r 'f en- - zE'.'- AZ VT d
AS result of an order promulgated
by the, United States Railroad Labor
Board and announced Thursday, $400,-
100000 will be slashed from the ma
tion's railway wage bill, July l, when
the ruling becomes effective on 104
railroads of the country. Granting
the petitions of the railroad COM
panies, the Board directed an average
cut of IL per cent, which, eventually,
will apply to all of the railroad en-
ployes in the United States. Mem
bers of 81 Unions and Brotherhoods
are affected Immediately by the wage
reductions, which range from five to
13 cents an hour, or from 5000 per
month for apprentice boys to $26.52
per month for the better paid skilled
labor, figuring on an eight-hour day
basis. sat r.s.-,..
Some Increase Eliminated.
The decision ofsthe Railroad Labor
Board grants reductions varying from
five to IS per cent, and in the. case Of
section laborers, completely wipes out
the increase granted this class&of en-
ployes by the $6O0,O00,0O0 wage
award of July 20, 1920. Section men,
who have been receiving 1910 for an
eight-hour day, were cut to $3.02, the
same figure in effect under Federal
control. This reduction is approx
mately IS per cent.
Switchmen and shop workmen suffer
a nine per- cent cut in their wages,
while the train service men are re-
duced pproximately seven per cent.
Car repairers are cut; about 10 per cent.
May Effect All Roads.
While the wage slash is specifically
applied for the present only to the
104 railroads whose cases have been
heard by the Board, the decision states
that it may later be applied to any
other road asking hearing in accord
ance with the provisions of the Esch-
Cummins transportation act.
The Railroad labor Board recently
re-classiied the various, employees in
connection with railway operations,
and this, it was pointed out, may have
some effect upon labor costs. =
Some weeks ago the Board also
ordered abrogation OF the national
working agreements, to become eff
fective July 1. At the hearing on the
petition for abrogation of these agree
ments, railroad witnesses estimated
savings; in labor cost as high as $780,
100000 annually. On the other hand
representatives of the railroad en-
ployes testified that the owners were
wantonly wasting millions of dollars
by an inter locking arrangement
whereby the repair work of the rail-
roads was turned over to one large
company, in which all of the con-
tributing railroads are interested, and
which charged outrageous prices for
poor and cheaply done work.
Based on Present Scale.
The wage reductions are based on
the present rates of pay as established
by the $6OO,0Oo,OOo wage award of
July 20, 1920. Common labor wages,
over. which the railroads made their
hardest fight, is to be reduced from six
to eight and one-half cents an hour,
thereby cutting freights truckers
average monthly wages to $97.1O and
track laberers to Still. This new
schedule still gives section men an;
average daily wage of $3.O2 for an
eightahour day.
IS Cut for Shop Crafts.
Shop craft employees and train and
engine service men, except those in
passenger service, are reduced eight
cents an hour. Construction and
section foremen are cut 10 cents an
hour. leaving them an average month
ly wage Of $145.
Passenger and freight engineers, who
were granted increases of 10 and 13
cents an hour respectively, by the
1920 award, are to be slashed six and
eight cents, respectively. Passenger
and freight conductors, who received
increases of IL 1-2 and 13 cents, re-
spectively, in 1920, are cut seven and
a half and eight cents an hour, re-
spectively, by the new schedule.
Train dispatchers and yardmasters,
whose monthly earnings at present
average $3.50 and S27O, respectively,
are cut eight cents an hour.
Smallest Reduction.
The smallest reduction ordered by
the Railroad Labor Board will apply,
to office boys and other employees un-
der Is years Of age, who will receive
five cents an; hour less after July 1
than they are now getting.
One OF the significant re-adjustments
in the decision is the re-classifcation
of clerks, whereby entering 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 per month for
the second half year Of service. Clerks