The Connecticut labor news., 1922-03-03


 Meantime the situation over the roads arbitrary cutting of wages and changing the working rules of the clerks and station employees Is grow ing more acute and will probably be put up to the general executive board of that brotherhood for action. A re- quest for a re-opening Of the confer ences and protest against the drive on the clerks was made to MT. Bardo by their General Chairman Stearns but evaded by MT.<Bardo under the eX- cuse that his preparations for the ses- sion in Chicago would take up all his time and he therefore couldn't con- sider further negotiations. This made it plain to the brotherhood board as shown in the statement sent to the affiliated lodges yesterday, that the action of the road is part of the gen. eraI plan of the railroads to coerce and disrupt the brotherhoods.
 That the road is not acting impar- tially in taking away the half holi- days, sick leaves, vacations, and the like with all it's clerks is evident. While those employees who are mem bers of the brotherhod have had such time and pay taken away from them there are hundreds of others, not members of the union, still enjoying all the privileges granted generally heretofore. This is being done under what is called personnel depart ment, under which hundreds of the clerks are listed. There was a great rush of those not affiliated to get in on this department when the new rules were i'll the offing, with the re- suit that these employees are being I'd who are members of the union are "personnep' end 1t may be said, how ever, are not among the skilled clerks and 1t is doubtful if a clash should come that they could carry on the affairs of the road more than day or two without having them SO ball ed up" that the road would be glad to drop its "personneI' and get some real competent workers.
 The situation III the mechanical de- partment IS very little changed. About a score more machinists in the locomotive department were returned to work this week in the New Haven shops, making the number now on about z5 per cent. of what was em- ployed a year ago March 8 when the road first began it's reform in the working departments. When the car workers and the remainder of the help formerly employed in the shops but laid off at Christmas, will go back is still problematical.
 The statement issued by the clerks yesterday is as follows:
 I am in receipt of many letters of inquiry in regard to the status of our revised agreement and particularly those rules that were in dispute and have been handed down by the United States Railroad Labor Board, Decis- ion No. 63o, for further negotiations between the management and your committed A report was made to all local chairmen on the rules in dispute, namely:
 Rule No. 2, excepted positions; rule Mo- 6, seniority districts; rule No. 21, notice of reduction; rule No. 25, trans ferring; rule No. 3I to g inclusive, discipline and grievances (agreed to for gneral offices but in dispute with operating dept.); rule No. 6I, Sunday and holiday work (this is new rule provided by the United States Rail road Labor Boa1td, Decision No. 63o but the committee contends that em- ployes should be paid for holidays under this rule, whether worked or not inasmuch as the labor board elim- mated Docket C IooI); rule No. 72 vacations; rule No. 73, sick leave; rule
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