The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1922-07-05
Is THE STRIKE JUSTIFIED?

The existing strike of the railroad
workers is declared by the national
Industrial conference board to have no
justification in fact The economic
status of railroad workers. the board
says. is 1877 per cent above what it
was in 1914. despite cuts. Backing
up its contention with figures the
board continues:
The skilled mechanics of the shop
crafts have had an average working
week of 4S.06 hours since the signing
in 1919 of the National Agreements
defining the working conditions of this
group OF employees Their rate of pay
up to the present time has been II
cents an hour for journeymen me-
chanics. The recent decision of the
labor board cut the rate of skilled me-
chanics seven cents per hour, making
a new hourly rate of 20 cents. 1t is
fair to assume that the average num-
Der of hours of employment per week
will not be less than it has been dur
ing the past two and one-half years,
and for the purpose of estimating the
earnings of skilled shop mechanics
under the wage cut, 4S.06 hours have
been taken as a basis. At this rate.
skilled mechanics will receive pay for
4s hours at 10 cents plus .O6 of one
hour overtime at time and one-haIf,
making their average weekly earnings
average hourly earnings after July l.
SOL. The average weekly earnings
Of this class of employees in 1914 was
$19.7S, which indicates a net increase
over 1914 of 1870 in estimated average
weekly earnings after July l. The
average hourly earnings of this class
were 1886 in 1914, making the in
crease over 1914 of the estimated new
earnings, 500. The index of actual
hourly earnings divided by the index
of the cost of living, which was 1913
on June l, and which will probably
change but slightly in the next few
months. gives an index Of real earn
ings or purchasing power of actual
earnings, based on the average hourly
earnings of 11S, and based on the
dex is ITO. In other words. the econ
omic status of the skilled mechanics
Of the shop forces when expressed in
purchasing power is 1870 higher than
in 1914.
For the car men. computing the
figures in the same manner, it is
found that since the signing of
the National Agreements reduc-
ing the working hours, the aver
age number of hours of employment
per week is 1888. Thus, car men
whose rate has been reduced 9 cents
from the present rate of ~ cents, will
have average weekly earnings of
$31.15, which is a 1850 increase over
in 1914. TheiT average hourly earn
ings of $.641 under the new rate show
an increase of 1900 over the 1914
average hourly earnings of $.256.
Their real earnings after July LIST
based on their average hourly earn
ings will. therefore, be $40 higher
than in 1914, and based on their aver
age weekly earnings, $3.50 higher than
in 1914.
Comparing the wages of railroad
skilled shop labor with those of the
skilled employees of foundries and ma
chine shops, who perform practically
identical service, the board finds that
while the average hourly earnings of
railroad skilled shop employees under
the new wage cut will be S.701. those
OF employees in the foundry and ma
chine shop industry stood at 1851 on
January q and the comparative aver
age weekly wages stood at $33.67 and
S25.OS for railroad and foundry and
machine shop mechanics, respectively.
The increase in real weekly earnings
of foundry and machine shop en-
ployes over the 1914 level was only
$50 as compared with a 1870 increase
for the railroad employees.