Evening star., 1922-06-06
WAGES Of 100000
SHOPMEN SLASHED
S60,0)D,0)O YEAR
Rail Board Action Taken
Over Strong Protest of
Labor Members.
CUT EFFECTIVE JULY
WITH THAT OF LAST WEEK
Minority Report Charges Human
Needs" Not Taken Into
Consideration.
BY the Associated Press.

Consideration.
BY the Associated Press
'iN'INNA1I, June Ga strike
vote of approximately I.2O0,OOO
railway workers Of the United
stntes will be taken by the indi-
Nidual unions affected by RaiI-
road Labor Board wage reductions.
recently ordered and pending, il
wns decided at conference of
union leaders here today.
Inc vote In each organization
Will be returnable' within thirty
days after the board announce.
wage cut for that class of en-
ployes, the vote of the shop crafts.
whose reduction was ordered by
the board today, being returnabIe
June 30.
CHICAGO, June 6.-Over the strong
protest of the three labor representa-
lves on the United States Railroad
LABOR Board. new wage cut of
cents an hour for railway shop me
chanics and 9 cents for freight car
men, cutting 100000 shopmsn approx
dered by the board today
The new wage reduction brought
an estimated added saving of s5es69
341 annually to the railroads. follow
ing on the heels of a 100000. 600 cut
In the wages of maintenance of way
laoorers last week. The shop crafts
decision becomes effective July /, tn.
same date as last weeks order.
The minority report of the labor
members pointedly stated that The
majority decision was made with no
consideration of human needs" and
charges that it fails to carry out the
function of the board TO set Just
and reasonable" wage.
Vindicates Propaganda.
The tendency of this decision ,s 70
vindfcate the propaganda of the rail-
roads and consequently condemn such
statements as the employees have been
able to bring to public attention" the
minority opinion said. 1t was signed
by Albert o. Wharton, W. l.. McMen
linen and Albert Phillips, the labor
representatives
Supervisory forces of the railroad
SHOPS were not decreased. After due
consideration, the decision said. il
was felt that the duties and RESPONSE
blIities of such forces warranted
maintenance of the present rates.
the reduction for the mechanics
average a little more than S per cent.
all machinists, boilermakers. black
smiths. sheet metal workers electTi-
cal workers. carmen texcept freight
carmen). molders. cupola tenders
and coremakers and the regular and
helper apprentices receiving a cut of
commonly known as car Knockers
and the object of some of the heaviest
assaults by the roads in their battle
for lower wages, were cut cents.
Knockers Cut Heavily.
The larger cut was ordered for the
car knockers" because the board
SAID 1t believed that their work did
not require the same skilled service
as other branches of carmen's work.
This heavier reduction for the freight
carmen came under especially severe
criticism in the minority report. the
labor members declaring there wasno
justification for discrimination in car
work.
Car cleaners. who now receive an
average of s3.ls a day. were cut s
cents an hour. or 40 cents day.
The mechanics. whose daily rate
now averages from S6.11 for electri
cal workers to s6.2S for blacksmitbs
will lose 56 cents day under the new
decision. bringing their daily wage
tc approximately $50
The boards latest decision. which
Is to be followed shortly by reduc-
tions for railway clerks. telegraphers
and all other classes of railway en-
ployes except the train service men,
was brief and offered no explanation
or how the new rates were arrived
at. This omission brought more fire
from the dissenters. who declared tho
majority decision did not consider
human needs" ignored the pleas OF
the employees for living wage" and
made no attempt to show that me
chanlcs are not entitled to such a
standard"
Suggestion for Standard.
Suggestion for some recognized
standard" to be worked out by the
board and used as a basis for future
wage adjustments was contained in
the minority report, which consumed
several times the number of pages in
the majority decision. The labor
members felt. they said. that the
board should initiate a study which
shall determine the amount neces-
sarX to meet some recognized stand
ard. and that it must use its results
as basis for its decisions, and that
1T must, through those decisions.
transmit this information to the pub
lic."
The increasing antithesfs between
profits and just wages will result in
lowered morale, thus reductions will
not result in economies" the minori-
ty opinion said The ma ajority failed
to carry out the function for which
the board was created" continued the
minority report. 'Such decisions Civ
ing no explanation to the public of
the process by which the majority ar
tive at the rates established. give the
public an impression that these rates
are not founded upon a careful con-
sideration of facts.
THE duty of the labor board as a
constructive, impartial body is pro-
viding means whereby railroad en-
ployes can have their legitimate
human needs satisfied without re-
course 10 stoppages, and TO enlighten
the public so that through the state
of unregulated industry and the con-
fusion Of propaganda they shall be
able to see the real facts as they af-
feet the body polite. This decision
fuIfilIs neither of these duties"
MILL LABOR sCANT.