Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1922-01-10
RAILWAYS D|SAGRE:E
ONCLERK DEMANDS
Extra Pay for Overtime and
Eight-Hour Day Princi-
pal Contentious.
VARIOUS OPINIONS VOICED
Rail Labor Board Expected to Com
plete New Set of Rules
by February /.
By the Associated Press.

By the Associated Press
CHICAGO. January 10.-Extra pay
for overtime work and the eight
hour day were the principal points
sought by railroad clerks in contro-
versies over the rules of the clerks
national agreement. which were up
for consideration by the United States
Railroad Labor Board today. The board
expected to complete its draft of new
rules within two weeks and promul-
cation of a new set of rules to re-
place the agreement made under fed
eral control is looked for by February
!.
Eight rules of the old agreement
affect the clerks pay and these rules
have been the subject of the greatest
disagreement in negotiations during
the last few months. Like the ma
tional agreements of other groups Of
railroad employees. the clerks agree
ment was ordered replaced by new
rules which the board directed the
employees and the carriers to draw up
by agreement. The disagreements re-
sulting from such negotiations were
referred to the board.
Many Roads Dfsagree.
Forty-four roads submitted dis
agreements on rule 81. calling for
time and one-half pay after eight
hours work, which the clerks wish
continued. Eight roads have agreed
with their clerks to pay pro rata time
after eight hours, but other carriers
are asking no extra pay for the
ninth hour, pro rata for the tenth,
and time and one-half only after ten
hours.
The large majority of carriers de-
sire to abolish time and one-half
for Sunday and holiday work, also,
except after ten hours.
Monthly and weekly bases of pay
are sought by about two-thirds of the
roads involved as opposed to a daily
rate basis which the employees ask to
be continued. Another rule which
the employees ask to be retained pro-
vides three hours pay for two hours
thereafter when the full weekly as
signment of hours has not been
worked. The roads seek elimination
of any punitive payment under this
rule.
Different Stand Taken.
Another rule specifying time and
one-half for work done before and
after the regular work period was
agreed to by only half of the roads
bringing disputes to the board. The
carriers who could not agree to this
rule desire to pay only pro rata pay
for work contiguous to the regular
assignment.
The eight-hour day. provided by
rule As, has been agreed to by TWEEN
ty-hve carriers, but twenty-nine
roads objected to certain features of
the rule. The main objection was in
it's application. especially in the case
employment. Other carriers ask a
nine or ten hour day.
A large majority of roads indicated
their desire to pay a straight monthly
of intermittent work. This would
eliminate all overtime and would ap-
ply mainly to agents at small sta
tons. where the train service is in,
frequent, to gatemen, announcers,
train crew callers and similar en-
ployes.
Personal ONCE Issue.
Elimination Of personal office forces,
usually chief clerks and stenog-
raphers. from jurisdiction of the
agreement is sought by most Of the
roads. This question has come up in
several cases already heard BY the
board. The decision in each in
stance was that there was no distinc-
tion between such employees and the
general group Of clerks.
Other important rules in dispute are
those governing seniority and pro-
motion. EMPLOYEES in some cases seek
to have seniority the sole require
ment, disregarding fitness or ability.
A number Of carriers brought special
positions as cashier or rate clerk
merely because of seniority. claiming
that inexperienced men would be
detrimental to the service.
In the case of rules agreed to by a
railroad ana its employees, those rules
will be effective superseding the
corresponding rules of the national
agreement. The rules disagreed on
l.o