Great Falls tribune. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1921-current, 1922-10-01
FEW MEN BACK
ON FINAL DAY
With G. \. ROAD
Agreement With New Unions
Increases Pay Above u. S.
Ruling.

The last minute on which striking
Great Northern shopmen could return
to their positions and receive consld-
Grafton for previous service expired at
11:59 O'Clock Saturday night with hall
a dozen or more men going back on the
lob in Great Falls during the day. AT
noon, five old men had reported for
work on the west side and officials
were informed that more would return
during the afternoon. From st. Paul
the Great Falls offices were advised
that 81 men returned to work Satur-
day morning, a total of 20 for the
week.
T. F. Dixon, superintendent of the
Butte division. stated that work now
is progressing on the west side rip
track and il the shops and ~houndhouse
in a way that causes the road to forget
that a strike is supposed to be in eff
feet" He stated that a good organ
ization has been formed by the men.
that crews of good men have been pro
cured and that the company will not
recede from the position it has taken
with the old men. Seniority rights
we're cancelled with men who did not
report for work on q date previously
established. but to those who returned
by midnight Saturday, former pension
and pass rights were restored.
Pay Is Increased
Increased pay has been granted
Great Northern railway shop workers
through negotiations between the man
agement and delegates who perfected
the new system organization of shop
crafts.
Negotiations of the new wage scale
and working rules and completion of
the new shop workers organization,
which supplants the unions called out
by the national strike of July l. were
completed recently. The delegates,
representing 5000 shop workers from
seven crafts throughout the northwest
on the Great Northern system. met
with officials of the road at St. Paul.
The new scale of wages has q range
higher than that established by the
United States railroad labor board and
the new working rules negotiated were
declared by the delegates TO be more
favorable than those prevailing pre-
~viously. The maximum scale estab-
lished by the labor board was 30 cents
an hour. The new scale for which
contracts were signed Is ~ cents for
all first-class mechanics and runs as
high as 50 cents an hour for all skilled
mechanics. a maximum three cents
higher IMAM tudt Siahteu W the So'
ernment agency.
Leads Northwest Roads
The Great Northern is the first
northwest railroad whose shop en-
| Moves have organized a system as
ISOLATION in conformity with the sug-
c~estion of the Railroad Labor board.
It's basic element being that both eu-
ployes and management have an equal
voice in il and that il is in no way
influenced or controlled BY outside or
CARNATIONS. The constitution of the new
organization. the Associated Organiza-
| tons Of Shop Crafts Employees of the
Great Northern provides that its mem
| hers manage their W affairs and not
! Join in disputes on other railroads.
Forces Near Normal
Greet Northern shop forces last
week. according to a st. Paul state
ment, were 90 per cent normal. The
seven associations are the carmen,
helpers and apprentices, machinistS'
| belpers and apprentices: boilermakers,
| helpers and apprentices: b~lacksmiths,
HELPERS and apprentices: sheet metal
workers. helpers and apprentices, cleo
tricians, helpers and apprentices, and
stationary engine employees and round
house laborers.
The constitution states that "the
purpose of these organizations is to
promote a better understanding and
cooperation and closer association be-
tween employees and management. and
TO obtain O fair and equitable adjust
ment of all disputes" Local commit.
tees at certain points will be organized
and district and regional boards of nd
iustment have been provided.
Similar organizations are IN the pro-
cess of formation on other major
northwest roads and new wage con-
tracts are forecast. Executives of
other lines also reported steady i'm
movement in the situation, more men
returning daily and increased ability
! TO rehabilitate cars and locomotives.