The daily banner. (Cambridge, Md.) 1897-2008, 1922-01-23
I-Is.'..IT 0NOVERTIME
OF RAIL WORKERS
New Rules Affect Clerical and
Terminal Hands.
SPLIT TRIcKS APPROVtU

Chicago, Jan. 23-AbOlitiOn of pena'
overtime payments until after the
!:inth hour of work, and authorization
# split tricks" instead of compelling
overtime payments, or two shifts for
intermittent work over Il span or
more than eight hours, are important
changes in rules governing railroad
clerical and terminal employees issued
by the United States railroad labor
board.
The new rules. which become etfec-
tive February |, supersede the nation
al agreement made by the federal ad-
ADMINISTRATION with the Brotherhood of
Railway and Steamship Clerks,
Freight Handlers. Express and Sta
ton Employees. which has been i'll eff
feet since January l, 1920. About
100000 employees are affected.
Application of the new split trick
rules and elimination of time and one
half pay for the ninth hour are ex-
pected to save the railroads millions
If dollars. Labor board statisticians
"stimating that the amount would
each $15,00O,0O0 annually. During
he rule hearings many roads testified
hat haggagemen, train announcerS
and other employees doing intermittent
work, many of them young boys or
aged men formerly paid $75 month,
we're receiving S17J to 5000, due to
operation of the overtime rule. This
overtime will now he eliminated.
The eight-hour day was retained in
principle, however, as ere collective
bargaining and union recognition.
The new rules cover all points ill
clerical working agreements not COW
cred by rules negotiated between indi-
,idual roads and their employees.
Time and One-ha;f pay Low applies
Jnly to the tenth hour of work or
hereafter, and to hours worked if
held on duty more than two hours
when called for extra work. Sunday
and holiday work will be paid at
straight time, except where the rail
road agrees to do otherwise.
ReOpening of many small railway
stations, Improvement of service to-
small towns and on suburban lines Is
expected to follow the adoption of the
new rule as to intermittent work. It
VIII not be possible for the 4ailroadsi
70 place responsible employees at the
mailer stations at all train hoursl
without the expense which they claim,
low is prohibitive, and which has
'esulted in the closing f many sta
lions and the handing of others over
% caretakers and janitOrs at come.
hours of the day
The new rule announced by the,
board provides that where actual ssfs
zee is intermittent, eight hours actualI
line on duty within spread of twelve.
hours shall constitute a days work.
When employees actually work more
than eight hours within the span or
when held longer than II hours to
perform their work, they are to be
paid time and one-half for the extra
.ime
Under the old national agreement,
an employe received overtime pay
after expiration of eight hours from
the time he first went on duty, al
though he may have had several hours
of idleness due to the fact that there
was no train service nor other duties
to perform.
Charges that employees actually
farmed or performed other work for
themselves in such intervals have
been one of the outstanding features
of the criticism leveled at railroad
conditions under federal control.
Where all tie work at a station due
to the arrival and departure of trains
only in the morning and evening
comes within spread of twelve hours,
such an employe, under the new rule,
would work in the morning, be releas-
ed in the middle of the day without
pay and report in the afternoC for
the remainder of the days work. I'm
Ter the old rule, he was paid over
time for the evening work or two
shifts employed, which later was gen
orally done