Evening star., 1923-06-12
union IN PROTEST
OF NAVY yA|lRDWAGE n
Awards by Board Affecting
Many Craftsmen Appealed
to Departmental Body.

Protests against certain recon-
navy yard craftsmen handed down by
the local board at the Washington
navy yard were made by union lead
ers at hearings today before the navy
departmental board at the Navy De-
partment Scores OF representatives
of machinists, boilermakers, laborers
and other navy yard and. arsenal en-
ployes attended the opening session
of the hearings. which will be con-
tinued daily from $50 am. to pm.
until all have presented their argu-
ments.
Elimination of all intermediate and
the establishment of one rate of pay
and one classified ton for boiIermak-
erS was urged by. Joseph Franklin,
International president of the Boiler
makers Union, who took more than
Two hours to present his arguments.
The establishment of two or three
classif1cations and as many rates Of
pay, he pointed out, is not IN the in
terest Of economy.
Admiral Robinson Intervenes.
Admiral ]. X. Robinson, chairman
of the board. answered +Franklin's
plea by declaring that some time ago
he yielded to those arguments, and
they did not work. "And I'll not Yield
again." he said.
Franklin emphasized that riveters
clippers and caulkers are all a part
of the boilermaker's trade and that
there should be no differential in
their rates OF pay; Il feel" said
isn't worth as much as a boller7naker
! can't see the right, propriety and
Justice of. giving the same rate OF
pay to q skilled worker as is given
to a less skilled worker
Method Held Unfair.
The method employed by the local
wage board in collecting data on
which its wage schedule was based
also was CRITICIZED by franklin as
unfair. ~. -
Some of the firms from which the
board obtained its 4. information, he
said, were not handling work sim
liar to that performed in the navy
yards.
At the outset of his argument
Franklin dwelt at some length on the
rates Of pay for boilermakers on
various railroads Admiral Robson
interrupted him with the declaration
that I'll not give any weight what
ever to the rate fixed by the railroad
labor board"
James O'Connel, president Of the
metal trades department Of the Amer
ican federation OF Labor, pointed out
that since the reduction in wages or
dered by the Wage Board about a
lyear and a half ago there has been
an upward trend in the wage ecaIe
or skilled craftsmen in private shops.
n. r. Alifas, president Of District
NO. ~, International Association Of
Machintsts. was among those in at
tendance at the hearing. but IL is
not expected that he will be called
upon TO present the ca Sc of the ma :
chlnists before tomorrow morning.
representatives of machinists work
ing in all arsenals and navy yards
met here yesterday and agreed to
nave Alias present their case.
Wants Higher Rate.
The report of the local wage board
granted an increase Of cents an
hour to the machinists. This will be
contested by Alifas, who will seek
FOR the machinists an increase Of ap-
proximately 20 cents an hour.
Alr. Alifas declared that he would
point ont to the 'bpdrd that such an
increase is necessary because the
wage data obtained from private
enterprises, if properly interpreted.
| shows that the machinists are at least
entitled to what they ask and that
the standards of living as set forth
by the Department of Labor cannot
be lived up to at the lower rate.
The board has promised to give
serious consideration to the argu-
ments, and will take final action in
advance of July 1, when the new
fiscal year begins.