The Rock Island Argus and daily union. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1920-1923, 1922-07-15

AOs'Ss 10 SICWcO lIOIu the sue OI
the workers, the Silvis federated
shop crafts has issued the follow
ing statement to the press:
Effective July 1, 1921, the Unit
ed States railroad labor board cut
our wages 8 cents an hour, and on
July l, 1922, the board presented
US with another remembrance in
the form Of wage reduction of Z
to cents per hour. This repre-
sents q wage reduction within one
year OF Is to II cents per hour. At
intervals during the last two years
the board also has taken from US
money earned through overtime
agreements, this having been done
by abrogation Of agreements in ac-
cordance with request of railroad
arrangements. Certain of these
agreements having been in effect
on many railroads for 25 years, it
seems strange to thinking people
why the labor board should decide
on change in this advanced day.
THE farming on. of shops work
by a number of the railroads is
another grievance involved in the
present strike. This practice has
been followed in order to evade the
decisions Of the railroad labor
board, and while the board has
given a decision declaring this
practice to be illegal under the
transportation act of 1920, the rail-
roads have entirely ignored this
decision. Nor has the board at
tempted to enforce its decision COW
ering this matter by eutlawing the
disobedient railroads, as in the case
Of the employees at this time. The
Erie railroad has violated. the
transportation act and the decis-
ions of the labT board in such a
way as to require special notice.
During January, 1921, the Erie re-
duced the wages Of train dispatch
ers, clerks, agents. telegraphers and
tower men by deducting one days
pay in each week. This was done
without authority of the board.
When the board urged that the
Erie had committed a violation. the
company commended that the board
was without power to make decis-
ions affecting the legal rights of
the carrier and the employees under
the contract of employment exist
ing between them, thus practically
ignoring the whole law under
which the board was created. An
other instance in which the Erie
showed its determination to go its
own way in defiance Of the trans
portation act involved it's attempt
to force its shop employees to work
overtime on pro rata basis after
July I, 1921. Employees refusing to
work overtime on a pro rata basis
were considered as having resign
ed. The railroad would not per-
init their return to service on the
ground that their attitude in the
matter clearly indicated that they
were undesirable employees. This
railroad has been allowed to gel
away with this position. without
condemnation by the board or in.
reference by the government
| farming out Of shop work is one OF
the important grievances in this
strike. BY this method the roads
have been allowed to evade the
conditions Of the transportation
act without openly appearing as
violators Of the boards decisions
that might happen to be favorable
to the employees. By this mean:
they were also able to intimidatt
their employees into accepting I'M
favorable conditions and to under
mine collective bargaining.
i The railway employees depart
ment of the American Federation
OF Labor brought the matter o
farming out of shops work to thu
attention OF the board in January
1921, and asked for an immedias,
decision on it. But the board dit
, not take steps to seriously conside
the matter until there was threa
of strike in the spring of 1922. II
other words, during the period o
unemployment the railroads wer
allowed to carry out their purpos
unmolested. In the last hearin!
before the present strike, whel
Chairman Hooper was talking
about the railroads giving up tn
practice, he made it quite clear tina
they need not give it up permanent
ly 1t was simply to be a grand
stand play to stop the strike.
In the case of the Rock Islam
Lines, they had not as yet acted t
follow out the policy of the othe
railroads in farming out work
However, they did have contract
without side people to do the wor
at coal chutes along the lines
, These contracts have been cancel
ed since the strike in order to pacl
fly the maintenance of way mel
who were affected by these con
tracts. and we have no doubt bu
that the Rock Island would hav
followed the other railroads in thi
!. practice had the others been sue
| cessful in getting away with i
, When the board rendered its decis
ion on rules, the Rock Island, alon
with the other roads. placed the
own interpretations upon them an
, applied them over the protests {
the men. This arbitrary attitud
on the part Of the railroads did NJ
!, tend to bring about peaceful cond
tons on the railroads.
Every effort was made by OF
Representatives to avert this strik
Reports coming through the publ
press would have you believe tn;
Bert M. Jewell, president of II
1 railway employees department, d
/. clined to do business with the raj