The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1924-03-18
B. & D. EXTENDS
COOPERATIVE
Participation Of Employees in
Management Will Include
All Repair Shops.
BY JOHN T. LAMBERT.
COsmopOlitan News Service.

The "Glenwood Cooperative Plan,
involving the most comprehensive
experiment undertaken in this coun-
try to allow the employees to par
ticipate in the ma aagement OF an
industry, has met with such out
standing success on the Baltimore
and Ohio Railroad that plans are
being made today to extend 1t to
the forty-four locomotive and re-
pair shops on that system.
The Glenwood plan is simple.
Glenwood is one of the three
major locomotive repair shops on
the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad.
1t is a union shop. The employees
elect cooperative committees from
their own members. The humblest
employee goes to the committee and
offers any suggestion he has in
mind to improve the work being
done. It may be how to repair a
condenser, set a wheel or install a
driving rod. 1t may be a sugges.
ton as to pay or Encouragement OF
the hours of labor.
NOkI1uAEG6C0 NAOCVo ANCE
The committee meets every other
week with a similar committee of
company officials. They talk over
the suggestions. They accept or
reject them. II they disagree. the
suggestion goes up to a system
wide committee of employees and
officials, which meets every three
months. Their decision is final.
The fruits of this experiment are
said to be amazingly valuable. Not
a semblance of labor trouble has
occurred since 1t was installed.
The locomotives there repaired are
said to be hauling more ton miles
Of freight and passengers than on
any similar system in the country.
Out of every 81 of income, the
Baltimore & Ohio has saved 1914
cents. The Pennsylvania. which
has no such system, saved 11.6
cents. Much of the difference is at
tributed by the employees to better
cooperation. II the Pennsylvania
had made such saving. it would
have had an additional $25,O0O, 900
last year to pay in dividends to
its shareholders. the employees say.
The new slogan is Baltimore
and Ohio work in Baltimore and
Ohio shops" No more work is to
be sent to outside contract shops.
The Baltimore & Ohio is going to
repair all its own locomotives and
make all supplies possible in it's
own shops where this system pre-
walls.
AS a result, the employees will
get more continuous employment.
A program is being laid to build
all locomotives there. The en-
ployes took a two.weeks' layoff last
month without a murmur of COM
plant.
Not Arbitrary Management.
1t is said this "Glenwood plan
does not pretend that the employees
are going to manage the shops or
road. 1t merely provides the me-
dunn through which they can be
assured Of competent consideration
Of their suggestions. There are no
bonuses attached to it. The agree.
ment says this program is intend
ed to help stabilize employment"
and "a fair sharing of the gains of
cooperation will be realized through
improved working conditions from
time to time as established by ne.
gotiations with the managemenz,
based. among other things, on &C.
tual showings made through o.op.
Grafton"
The idea was presented after the
last shop strike by President VIII.
liam H. Johnston, Of the Interna.
tional Association Of Machinists. to
President Daniel Willard. who re-
ceived 1t with some misgiving, but
! decided to make the try. Now it ,s
to be extended throughout the sys
tenn.
The aforementioned railroads
Of Canada, operating $4,000 miles
have talked over the results with
President Johnston and preliminary
steps have been taken to install the
which operate $4,000 miles Of trao,,
same system on other railroads
| in this country.