Grand Forks herald., 1922-05-11
FARMING OUT OF
RAILROAD LABOR
RULED ILLEGAL
Highly Important Decision
Made BY u. S. Rail Labor
Board

shop repair work to out4ide firmS BY
Z railroad company was declared q
violation OF the transportation act and
contract provisions conflicting with
the wages and working rules laid
down by the United States RAILROAD
was characterized by the board AZ
the most important 1t has rendered
since its stablishment.
The decision which is the first of
= series Of judgments to be- handed
down on disputes over farming OUT
railroad labor, waA made in the COM
troversy between the union shop
crafts and the Indiana harbor belt
railroads. The board declared its
pronouncement went ito the vitals
of the transportation act"
While the decision applied only to
the ore road, which last Septernber
contracted its repair work to the
Burnham Car Repair company, the
general principles established will
govern all subsequent decisions.
There now are SO such cases pend
ing before the board. involving II
railroads. Each case, however, will
be decided o. it's own merits, the
board announced. but the principles
Of the Indiana harbor belt decision
will stand.
Thousands Affected.
Under yesterdays decision, thou
sands of former railway employees now
working for contractors at wages
varying from the labor boArd scale
arc formally brought back under the
boards jurisdiction. Rules varying
from those laid down by the board
are likewise in effect declared illegal
and the contractort EN- npleyes reatored
tho x1nYlr3nN rn1Ao ,s1h IA Er
the board.
The board declared in its decision
that if a railroad company could re-
move its employees from the jurisdic-
ton Of the labor board, as was con.
tended in the Indiana harbor belt
case, then 1.-The entire transportation
act can be nuulified and, will OF the
congress of the United States sst At
naught. At the present time various
railroads have contracted to indepen-
dent companies the work Of six dif.
men, maintenance OF way laborers
clerks. f1remen and oilers, hostlera
and signal men-and the board dc.
clared that II one class Of employees
could be taken out from under the
transportation act there is no sound
reason why each and everv railroad
employe in the United States cannot
be given like treatment
Protcc4s Pubic.
'"rhe object Of the transportation
act was to prevent interruption Of
traffic growing out of disputes re.
tween carriers and their employee,
the decision said. "sucn controver.
sizes had. for years. periodically har,
assed the pubic. blocked commerce
stagnated business, destroyed proper.
ty values and visited great inconveni
ence andy suffering upon millions o1
people. Congress cndeavored to pro
vide method of adjustment for rail.
way labor disputes in the transporta.
tion act by providing for conferences
between employers and employees
When the act speaks ct employees, i
undoubtedly cohtemplafesi those EN-
gagged in the customary work or op'
Grating the railroads.
"a strike by the employees of 8
contractor or contractor agent of {
carrier would as effectually result II
the interruption of traffic as if thu
men were the direct employees of the
carrier"
The board pointed out that thu
public would be deprived of protec
tion against strikes if employees of s
railroad contractor were not placet
under the boards Jurisdiction ~ wei
as bonafide railway employees.
The Indiana harbor belt ease was
board. the frst contract being let By
the road on January -. 1921. Sub
sequent agreements extended the op
rrations of the repair company unit
contract on September 16. 1921, CAV,
the repair to the Burnham compan,
in seven shops. Meanwhile similal
cases Of farming out work appeared