Great Falls tribune. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1921-current, 1922-08-23
The Hlskin Letter ''' : Rs1s
FI1TTTRE OF H RAILROAD LABOR BOARD.

WAS OeluKCu VIII CAcCc hiNh II oHOuiu
never have had to consider and that
this was the beginning of bad feeling
between the executives and the leaders
Of the workers. which did not promise
well for harmonious relations in the
future. The railroads asked that the
national agreement be %abrogated. The
officials of the unions offered to meet
the executives in national conference
and negotiate a new agreement based
ON the old one. The executives de-
clined.
lhis controversy then went to the
railroad labor board and while it was
pending many of the railroads an
nounced that they intended to redtice
wages. The board ruled that no wage
reductions should be put into effect
until it had heard the case and rem
dered a decision. In spite of this, a
few roads ignored the boards ruling
and undertook to make wage reductions
Immediately effective. The board has
no authority under the law to enforce
its decisions, but its members did their
utmost to persuade the railway execu-
tives to abide by them.
Other Rulings by the Board
Later the board decided that GER
tain wage reductions should be made.
It set aside the national agreement, but
laid down certain fundamental princi-
pies that should govern the ~negotia-
ton of new agreements on the indivi-
dual roads or systems. 1t also modi-
fled the overtime rule in such a manner
that the workers contended that the
eight-hour law was being evaded if
not violated.
An election of employees representa-
tives on the Pennsylvania system was
protested by the unions and the board
held that the election did not conform
to it's rulings. Pennsylvania officials
announced their intention of standing
by what they had done and the board
decided to publish the fact that the
railroad had violated n of the boards
decisions. Thereupon the Pennsyl-
vania went into court and secured al
injunction restraining the board from
such action. This injunction was set
aside on appeal to a higher court, but
the railroad served notice that it
would carry the case to the supreme
court of the United States.
Certain railroads also adopted a
policy of closing their own repair shops
leasing them to private companies and
then turning over their repair work to
these private corporations. The unions
of the various shop crafts charged that
this was a deliberate attempt on the
part of the roads to evade the juris-
diction of the railroad labor board.
and in effect the board held that this
farming out of repair work was
contrary to the spirit of the law and
should be discontinued.
Thus when the wage reduction ap-
- - A.. .LN~ .r4r1ynrr 1~Or o,-
nounced to take effect July | last, so
much bad feeling had been stirred up
that it was not surprising that the
employees decided TO strike. in spite
of the boards decision. They insisted
that if the railroads could flout the
boards decisions when they did not
like them the workers should have the
same privilege, and they proceeded to
exercise it, with results that the gen
eral public will be long in forgetting.
In the circumstances it appears al
most inevitable that some changes will
be made in the labor provisions of the
transportation act. Few well Informed
people in Washington believe that the
railroad labor board will be abolished,
but it is seen that something must be
done if there is not to be a complete
breakdown of the law. But it will
take time and a high order of states
manship to work out changes that will
be effective. AS evidence OF this it
is only necessary to point out that if
severe penalties are fixed for violations
of the boards decisions, the result will
be substantially compulsory arbitration
and that is something that has never
been a success as yet, no matter where
it has been tried.
That the headquarters of the rail
road board may be brought to Wash
ington from Chicago is altogether pro
bable. as experience has indicated that
the board should be in close touch with
the Interstate Commerce commission
and with the executive branch of the
government.