The Connecticut labor news., 1922-01-27
DIVISION DEVELOPS AMONG SHOP CRAFTS
 DISCUSSING SULES
Acceptance of Reference of New Conditions to Men Is Point
 at Issue
Overtime Rule Opposed
Labor Board Has Changed Practice in Operation for More Than
 Twenty Years.

Chicago, Jan. 27.-A sharp division of opinion has developed among the 90 board members of the Federated Shop Crafts i'll conference here to consider the general rules governing working condit ions handed down by the Labor Board and effective December l, 1921, writes Clint C. Houston in the Current issue of Labor. Some of the delegates favor submitting the most objectionable rules to a referendum or strike vote, while others favor approval of all rules that can be classed as acceptable, and asking the board for rehearing on the others.
 The matter has been debated at con- siderable length during the first week of the conference at the Clarendon Beach Hotel, and opening of the second week finds none of the decisive points deter mined
 Greatest objection is directed at rule 6 as fixed by the board, which eliminates extra pay for work performed on Sun days and holidays. This punitive pay had been the established rule on most roads long before the period of Govern ment operation, in some instances dating back as far as 20 or 30 years It had been written into local and system az reements Therefore 1t is not surprising that the men refuse to hastily surrender material benefits obtained through years of struggle and negotiation
 When the conference assembled last Monday the various subj jects to be con- isdered were divided among sub-com- mittees, and most of the first week was taken up by these lesser meetings. Re ports to the full conference are being made today and by tomorrow practically the complete program of action will be before the delegates. The conference Is not expected to finish the business in hand before the end of this week.
 In addition to the board members of the three divisiOns-east. west and south the international officers of the six me- Chanical shop-craft affiliates of the Rail way Employees Department, American Federation of Labor, are in attendance: President William H. Johnson, Machir- ists; President J. W. Kline, Blacksmiths President J. A. Franklin, Boilermakers Martin F. Ryan, Carmen: Vice president E. J, Evans, Electrical Workers; and General Representative J. M. Burns, Sheet Metal Workers. President B. M. Jewell, of the Railway Employees Depart ment presides over the conference ses- sions.
 For the benefit of those readers of Labor who have not followed this con- troversy, 1t may be well to say that the conference now being held in Chicago will determine the attitude of 1000 or more shop employees toward both the wage scale and general rules. When the Labor Board cut wages approximately F per cent last July the shop crafts took favorable vote, but deferred putting 1t into effect until the board had decided on new working rules, as wages and rules were correlated in establishing conditions of future employment. When the train service brotherhoods later voted to strike the shop crafts withheld cooperation be- cause the uestion of rules had not been determined.
 On December 1 last the board an nounced its decision on rules, general ef- fective of that date, Radical changes were made to the then existing rules obtaining under the national agreement, especially as they related to overtime. Sunday. and holiday work The board estimated that the new rules cut the annual wage pay of shop men at least $5OO0O0O0.
 An official letter was then sent from headquarters of the Railway Employees Department directing the men to remain at work under protest until such time as the division board members, authorized to act in the matter, could assemble, and a call was sent out for a conference to