Evening star., 1922-10-15
about-that Is people who are not in the employ of
the Pennsylvania.
Makes for Intimate Contact.

Makes for Intimate Contact.
Furthermore, the plan is designed to localize and
to decentralize even on the road itself. that the
problems Of the men particular job engaged
In a particular kind of work may be dealt with by
those men, The intimate contact afforded by across
the-table conference between the workers and the
management is the factor which the proponents
OF the plan base their faith in it's success
You cannot settle labor questions. by law" said
Mr. Atterbury. who has been the prime mover in
the adoption Of the present enploye representation
plan THE personal equation enters too strongly
into the matter There must be personal contact
and conference If controversies are be settled
rightly. That is what AFTER
Employees 1.-THE Pennsylvania railroad, as in tho
case of other roads. fall into number of classes.
There are the engine and train service. the shop
crafts the teegraphers the signal department, the
maintenance OF way, marine department. dining car
and restaurant cleI ks and miscellaneous employees.
The employe representation plan is bascaly the
same for all classes of employees though in detail
there are some differences in the organizations
The key stone in each however, is the joint e.
viewing committee for the engine and train service
employees, and the regional Joint committees for the
shop crafts and other classes of employees. These
committees constitute the highest authority the
Pennsylvania railroad in the settlement of matters
in dispute between the employees and the MANAGE
ment. Their decisions final. The representa-
tion OF the employees and management these
mittees Is numerically equal Their decisions are
arrived at only after two-thirds Of the entire mem
bershp have agreed. In other words, the deci-
sion of the Joint reviewing committee the dictum
Of workers and the management combined No de-
cision can be reached by party alone.
Steps to Settlement.
Consider for the moment that the representatives
of the shop craft employees been elected. What
are the various steps which may be taken to bring
about the settlement of question of employment
which arises between employe and the manage
ment?
In the first place the employe Is required take
fha oafto with 1jato
posing that no settlement is reached, the second
step is meeting of the local committee represent
ing the workers with the division superintendent
The third step. always supposing that the contro-
versy has not been settled is for the regional gen.
eral committee to carry the matter the general
superintendent. The fourth step takes the matter
to meeting Of the regional general committee
with the general manager the fifth step carries
1t to the regional Joint committee.
What happens If the regional joint committee is
deadocked-that is the enpioye representatives.
the hand, stand pat. and the management rep
resentatives, on the other, do the same? 1t is
possible to obtain two-thirds vote for decision
The matter in controversy is allowed go
for month. and the joint committee after that
coong-off period goes at it again. If it is still
impossible to get decision then the Joint COM
mttee decides what Is to be done-whether II shall
be taken to the United States Railroad Board
or some other arbiter is to be selected The execu-
tive officers Of the company cannot interfere with
the regional joint committee in the matters over
which the committee has jurisdiction.
Review by Joint Committee
The same course is followed practically, in set.
tng controversies which may arise between an en-
ploye OF the engine and train Service the clerical