Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1921-12-01
RAILROAD LABOR BOARD ISSUES
new RULES GOVERNING SHOPMEN
effective ON DECEMBER 1ST
Predict Economies in Operation and Increas-
ed Efficiency of $5O,OOO,OOO Year; Recog-
milton of the "Open Shop" On All American
Traffic Lines; 100000 Men Affected.

pairs may connect or QlSCOnHeCl
any wiring, coupling or pipe con.
nections necessary to repair ma
Ichinery or equipment. THIS work
was previously assigned to electri-
clans and sheet metal workers only
Under the new rules, engineers
firemen and cranesmen are not
prohibited from making repairs to
equipment on the lines of the road
as they are qualified to perform
The new rules thus allow train OPP
eratives to perform repair work
even though it is ordinarily con-
sidered shop mechanics work.
Crate Rigging Work.
Boiler makers helpers under the
new rules are given the job OF re-
moving and replacing CRATES. I'M
der the national agreement all
crate rigging work was assigned to
Ijourneymen boiler makers.
The classification of the work
of the sheet metal workers, cleo
trical 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 serv-
ice require it. Under the national
iagreement car men were exclusive
ly assigned to wrecking crews. IN
der the new rules, wrecking crews
exclusive OF engineers, will be COM
posed of car men, where sufficient
men are available, but when need
ed. men of any class may be taken
4. hara of WTaHK1nR
crews.
Another important change at
fecting car men Is that when al
lows common laborers to disman-
tie wooden freight cars hereafter
Under the national agreement, only
qualified carpenters were allowed
TO do this work. About IS per cent
of the country's freight cars are
built of wood. The new rule per-
mits employees getting 1926 TO
$500 a day TO do work previously
required to be done by car men
receiving 1854 a day.
New Type of Apprentice.
An entirely new rule promulgat-
ed by the board, for the flrst Time,
creates a new type OF apprentices
ito be known as special appreh-
tice." Previously there have peen
only two kinds of apprentices IN
the skilled shop crafts, regular ana
helpers apprentices. Regular ap-
prentices are youths entering the
service between the ages of 16 ana
81 wears and serving four years
apprenticeship, and helper appren
fees are those apprentices select
cd from the ranks of the helpers
Special apprentices are to be select
ad from Young men between the
ages of IS and 26, who have mao
a technical school education, anu
thew will be required to serve only
three years apprenticeship perore
hecomine iourneymen mechanics,
RuIes which required certain
standards of force ana eQulpIiie,is
TO be maintained for doing certal,
kinds of work have been mooiileo
and some discontinued, thus eliih-
mating the expense of maintainlns
unnecessary men on the rolls. Otn-
or rules have been changed TO al
low the use of forces assigned TO
norticutar classes OF work on otner
work. when there Is no work OF
their particular class to be per-
formed. ,-.,,
MANY of the rules are highly
technical in character. Much time
was spent on the rules regarding
electrical railroads. which at pres
ent apply only to a few roads nke
the Pennsylvania and New YORK
Central, but which will become OF
increasing importance as the cleo
trification of the steam lines pro-
ceeds.
Shop Crafts Involved.
The six shop crafts employees
involved are the carmen, sheet
metal workers, machinists, black
smiths, boilermakers and electro
cal workers. They were represent
ed at the rules hearings by the fol.
lowing organizations: BROTHERHOOD
of Railway Carmen OF America
International Alliance of Amalga-
mated Sheet Metal Workers, Inter-
national Association of Machinists,
International Brotherhood OF
Blacksmiths, Drop Forgers and
Helpers, International Brother
hood of Boilermakers, Iron Ship
Builders and Helpers of America.
and the International Brotherhood
Of Electrical Workers. All these
are affiliated with the American
Federation of Labor and are en-
rolled in the railway employees de-
partment OF that organization.
The national agreement, sup
planted today by the new rules,
was entered into with the employees
by the United States railroad adj
ministration September 20. 1919.
From the first 1t was strongly
criticised by the railroad MANAGE
ments and others because they con.
tended it imposed uneconomical
methods of operation on the rail-
roads. limited the discretion and
control of the management and
greatly increased the cost of opsr-
alton. The railroads also COM
planned that they had no voice IN
making the national agreement
which they declared was wished
on them" by the railroad adminis-
tration. The employees have main
tanned 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 managements,