The Connecticut labor news., 1925-01-24

the force and operate on full time
 in turning out new steel cars.
 It was announced this was in part
 compensation for the record of the
 employees in the car-building depart
 ment in increasing the output.
 now been in effect about eight months,
 and I am going to give brief report
 showing in simple outline what has
 been accomplished in that time. II, Accordance with the agreement which I have already referred to and which was entered into between the Balti- lmore & Ohio management and its em- |ployes in February, 1924, o57 meet ings hay been held between men rep
 resenting the management and men representing the employees. The aver age attendance at such meetings was 12. Tn average length of meetings Iso held was 1A hours. Total number of suggestions submitted for discus sion, 5272 Number of such sugges- tions adopted, 3,810 Per cent of those adopted to the totaA proposed, 72.2. Number of suggestions still under con sideration but not disposed of, 972. Number postponed because the ex- pense necessary to install them not justified at the present time, 85. Mum
 Der dropped because after full discus sion considered impractical, 405.
 Please bear in mind that this record of accomplishment refers only to one phase of the results which have been obtaind from the new relationship developed in the Baltimore & Ohio service. The figures which 1 have just read are sufficient, 1 think, to show that the plan in this particular aspect alone is a very real one. It has actu- ally been put into effect, meetings have been and actually are being held at regular intervals, suggestions actu- ally are being made by employees and officers for mutual discussion, and such suggestions really are being given ser ious consideration, and, I have just shown, during a period of less than eight months more than $500 sugges- tions out of 5,272 brought up for dis cussion at the meetings of the coooper- ative committees have actually been put into effect, and are today a part of the | Baltimore & Ohio standard practice. I These results of themselves more than | justifying the arrangements if nothing 1oI I have already said, I have feeling that the results indicated by these figures are really the least of all the accomplish ments to be expected under the plan. First of all, the plan itself contem- plates a full and sympa athetic under standing between the management and the men concerning the problems con | fronting them in the Baltimore & Ohio service, and I believe that only with such an understanding is 1t possible to have satisfactory relationship based upon mutual trust and confidence. The cooperative committees that have been formed between the managing officers and the men employed chiefly but not dlOHC III lile Shop SIdItS dIC Slupiy one of the agencies made use of in giving effect to the policy above out lined Frequent meetings between of flcers representing the management ard groups of the different employees are also helpful and to be encouraged. In short it may almost be said that the Baltimore & Ohio labor plan or policy | which has been developed in conferences | between the management and the men is little if anything more than an earn est determination on the part. of each to deal honestly fairly and syrnpathet- ically with the other, at the same time making use of such agencies or methods as seem most likely to secure the re- suits mutually desired. When I speak of sympathetic understanding or rela- | tionship, 1 do not use the word sympa- | thetic in any maudlin sense, but rather as indicating mutual desire to main | tain a relationship based upon friendly understanding.
 Now, what is the effect of such an | understanding and of such a relation ship? It seems to me that there can be only one answer to that question: It gives to every employe an enlightz ened and enlarged view of his own worth and importance as a part of the great organization known as the Bal timore & Ohio Railroad It empha- sizes to each man the importance of the work which he himself is doing, and the responsibility which goes with his job or position, and which rests upon him personally to do good work to do honest and dependable work, not just