The Connecticut labor news., 1922-02-24
While ''Basic" Day of Eight Hours Is Re- tained on Paper Con- secutive Cutting Off of Overtime Until Af- ter Ten Hours Leads to Belief That Roads Have Secured Control of Board.

Now fully impressed with the be- lief that the railroads have secured control of the Railroad Labor Board and have induced that board to do away with the eight hour work day and under a camouhage of mo over time until after 10 hours" opened the way for the roads to force longer workday, railroad men not only on the New Haven system but all over the country are quietly preparing to resist. The resistance, if it comes to point where resistance is made necessary, will be carried through to a finish this time, and will be put into effect just as soon as the rail roads try to enforce Io-hour day with overtime pay after eight hours, no matter what the Railroad Labor Board may decide.
 The most recent order, that affect ing engine hremen and oilers employ ed in the roundhouses and yards, which was made this week, also cov- cred up the 1o-hour trick and further allowed the roads to split the tricks" of the workers anywhere within 12 consecutive hours so that the men can be so arranged as to have no time for themselves. This and the other decisions by the labor board lead to the belief that no matter what the workers desire they will not get anything and therefore although they will go to Chicago and argue the further reductions of wages on March 6, they have little hope of receiving any concession and have about made up their minds to fight for it.
 In addition to the wallops the shop crafts on the New Haven system have
 
 and long layoffs, the road has now under the ruling of the Labor Board has jumped at the opportunity to cut the wages, take away all overtime, half holidays and other privileges en- joyed and 70 put the clerks on a straight six day week and all the overtime work and Sunday hours the road thinks necessary without extra pay. The executive board of the Brotherhood of Clerks on the entire system met here last Saturday and registered protest but their protests were unavailing and the road went ahead with its orders. Another ses- sion will be held this coming week, the date not yet set, at which the ex- ecutive board will make another pro- test and failing that will appeal for a revision of the orders by the Labor Board.
 There are about 4,ooo clerks on the system and the promptness with which the road took every advantage allowed under the sweeping ruling of the Labor Board, leads to the general belief among railroad men that the New Haven has joined with the other roads in a concerted attempt to dis r,1Dt ar weaken the OrpanizafiOnS especially in the shops, on the tracks now being held between the road officials and the trainmen's delegates, those held so far having to do with the shop crafts and office forces, on the further reduction in wages that the road desires to put over on the employees generally. The shop crafts arguments will open in Chicago on March 6 and promise to be long drawn out affair inasmuch as the shop crafts are determined to resist a further cut and insist on an increase to offset it.
 So far as the car repair work on the New Haven IS concerned the situation is about as 1t has been with | but a handful of the employees on the job and these making repairs mostly | on foreign cars on the New Haven | lines which become damaged and l have to be repaired before being sent back to where they belong.
 The attitude of the road on the | clerks situation is set forth completely | in the protest made by the clerks 1 and the answer of the road. They 1 are as follows: