The Brunswick news. [volume] (Brunswick, Ga.) 1906-2016, 1921-07-10
LABOR UNIONS DEFY THE LABOR
BOARD.

railway labor unions policy regarding
the national agreements" is one of
open defiance of the Railroad Labor
Board.
1T is evident" says the Railway
Age, "the general public greatly mis-
understands the situation with regard
to the national agreements. Many per-
sons and newspapers continue to say
the abrogation of these agreements
will save the railroads 100000, 900 a
year. AS matter Of fact, they are
still in full force and effect because
the labor organizations have openly
defied the Railroad Labor Board by
completely disregarding the spirit and
purpose Of its decision in the nation
al agreements case. SO far as actual
results are concerned, the labor lead
ers thus far have been completely vic
torious in the fight over national
agreements.
'gThe Conference Committee of
Managers OF the railways presented
to the Board detailed evidence and
concrete examples regarding the in
righteousness of the present rules as
result OF which the Board ordered
them abrogated on July /. The Board
having suspended its abrogation, the
national agreements are still in effect,
and unless the Board has the courage
to act as the provisions Of the Trans
lportation Act and the logic of the sit
uation dictate the labor leaders will
so vancouver that they will be in eff
feet for months to come
The Railway Age calls attention to
the fact that among the principles the
Labor BOARD recognized in rendering
its original decision in the national
agreements case was that OF the eight
hour day, and that this automatically
wiped out at least one-half of the saw
ings Of $SOO,O0O0OO which it had been
estimated could be made by restoring
the rules and working conditions in
effect In 1917.
Failure Of the Individual railways
and their employees to reach agree
ments. regarding the rules and work
ing conditions" 1t says, is entirely
due to the persistent pursuit by the
labor leaders Of a. policy obviously In.
tended to perpetuate the very rules
and working conditions which the La
Dor Board by its decision has con
demned. The situation demands
prompt, intelligent and courageous &C
ton by the Labor Board. Only by
such action can it vindicate the wis
dom OF Congress in creating 1t.
The first thing the national labor
leaders did after the Boards decision
was rendered was to order the chair
men OF their committees on the indi-
vidual railways to demand continu-
ance practically unchanged Of every
rule in the national agreements The
local chairmen did this and stuck to
1t. or course the railways could not
individually accept the rules IN the
national agreements. This would have
left In effect all the rules which have
caused the great inefiiciency and enor-
nous waste which have resulted from
the national agreements. It would
have prevented the adoption Of rules
and working conditions to local situ.
ations and disregarded the decision of
the Labor Board.
THE open defiance Of the Labor
Beard by the national labor leaders
aided and abetsed by the local chair
men, has thrown the entire subject Of
rules and working conditions back in
to the hands OF the Board.
THE Transportation Act plainly in.
tended that when The railways were
returned to private operation thtv
should be managed as individual
units. It was 10 get away from poll
cies adopted under government con.
troll Ia furtherance of naturalization
of the railways that they We're reutrn.
ed 10 private operation. Only by
abandoning these policies could a re.
turn TO private operation do any good
The most costly and lndefenslble pol
icies adopted under government con.
troll were those for the standardiza-
ton Of wages and rules and working
conditions The Labor Board might
carry out the plain purpose OF the
transportation Act by restoring the
rules and working conditions of 1871
with such specific exceptions as Il
may regard as fair aud in the public
interest"
4 TAE HEYtlRM QE TAE 0ntlAp