The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1921-08-12
ROW over ORDER
Santa Fe Clerks win ASK Pay
While on Vacations.
Chairman of Clerks Order Says
Claims Will Be Filed.

Upon his return today from Chicago
where he attended a conference called
for the purpose of taking up the order
which the Santa Fe company recently
issued regarding vacations on pay, M.
A. Moore, general chairman of the
clerks of the Santa Fe's eastern lines
announced that orders were being is
sued for clerks to take their vacations
as usual and declared that if the com
pany refuses to pay the clerks for the
time claims will be filed against the
company.
Was Not Officially Announced.
The order regarding vacations with
out pay has never been officially an
nounced in Topeka. That it was is
sued, was reported several days ago
but no information could be learned
concerning it at any of the company's
general offices here and today it was
said at the office of General Manager
Fred c. Fox that the order did not
come from that source.
according to Moore, the order was
issued from the Chicago offices by A
G. Wells, vice president in charge of
operation, and that while he has never
seen copy of it, says its contents
were telephoned to him by officials
several days ago. The order, he says
affects only clerks of whom there are
from 1900 to 1900 in Topeka He
says that the order is a proposal for
basis of employment with all overtime
eliminated when the usual vacations
on pay would be allowed, but does
away with all vacations as long as the
clerks remain at work on the daily
basis of eight hours per day.
Refuse to Hold Election.
Moore says the order also carried
the proposal that the clerks organi-
zation call an election for the purpose
of voting on the acceptance of the or
der but that this the clerks refused
to do unless approved by their local
and general chairmen. This resulted
in Moore spending Wednesday and
clerks committee met with T. A.
Gregg, assistant to Vice President
Wells, having in charge all claims and
grievances from employees of the oper-
ating department No agreement was
reached, however, and the matter goes
over until it can be passed upon by the
United States labor board.
The members of the clerks union
were employed on the monthly basis
prior to the time the government took
charge of the railroads. In January,
1920, Moore says the Santa Fe issued
a similar order which never went into
effect. He says that the subject was
one of the many which were voted oil
in June, when an agreement was
reached with theSrailroad company on
forty-one questions and disagreements
results on forty-three others, including
the one concerning a return to the
monthly basis with vacations on pay
or remain on the daily basis and re-
ceive no pay for time lost.
No Decision by I4abor<Board.
These forty-three questions were
carried up to the labor board and
final decisions have not yet been made.
According to Moore, the order to elm
mate vacations on pay at this time, is
a violation of the national agreement
inasmuch as all questions not finally
passed on by the board remain in eff
feet until a final decision is made,
While the board is Expected to render
a decision soon, Moore says all clerks
who have not as yet had vacation
are being told to go ahead with the
plans and that claims will be filed with
the company if the employees are
"docked."
Moore is predicting that the labor
board will decide in favor of the
clerks, declaring that a favorable rul-
ing has already been made with the
clerks of the Western Maryland system
in decision No. 140.