The Waterbury Democrat. [volume] (Waterbury, Conn.) 1917-1946, 1943-12-14

seizure by the Smith COnnally act,
but other war-powers acts would
probably permit the President to
order the roads taken over in case
of strike or other emergency.
In World War I, there was no
government machinery already es-
tablished to mediate and adjust
railway labor disputes. Today, there
is the National Mediation Board
set up by the Railway Labor act of
1926 to handle just such cases. On
top of this, to handle the 20 cents
an hour wage increase demands
made by the Is incorporating
unions for their 100000 members
last December, the President named
an emergency panel to review a
finding already made by the Ma
tional Mediation Board, which had
ben unable to settle the disputee.
The emergency panel awarded an 8
cents an hour increase.
SECOND AWARD
DIRECTOR FRED M. VINSON
Of the Office of Economic Stabiliza-
ton rejected the first panel award
and a second presidentially APP
named to review the finding Of the
first panel. 1t has come through
with awards varying from 4 cents
an hour for higher paid workers, to
10 cents an hour for lower paid
workers. A Senate resolution calls
for setting aside this second award
and returning to the first In this
situation, the is incorporating
unions called for strike vote.
Tracing the historical parallel,
you must 60 back to the Adamson
law, passed in September, 1915.
This law, first established the eight
hour day for train and engine en-
ployes. Over the Adamson law was
fought one of the bitterest battles
In American labor history, leading
right up to the even of Americas
declaration Of war the following
April.
Railway labor groups had been
negotiating for wage increases
through the early part of 1916 and
those arguments advanced today
that railway labor wages have not
advanced as fast as the cost of
living nor as fast as increases in
other industries, to which the rail-
roads had been losing manpower
Conferences broke down In June ON
the eieht-hour issue. In August, the
brotherhoods reported "a per cent
of their membership favored strike.
go NV fIic t1pant 1,o Untpl,t
hour law was then introduced in
Congress, passed quickly and sign
ed.
STRIKES THREATENED
Instead of settling the issue. how
ever, passage of the law only served
to stir up the dispute. Many rail-
roads sought injunctions to stop en-
forcement. In retaliation. the
unions threatened strikes if the law
was not put into effect by January
l, 1917.
Labor agreed to hold Off on
strikes and the railway manage
ments agreed to hold up all other
suits until the Supreme Court could
rule. Hearings were held in Janu-
airy. But the railway unions con-
tinued to use the strike threat
without actually striking. On March
10 a freight strike was called for
March 16 it was delayed 48 hours.
On March IS President Wilson an
nounced that strike must not be
called because of the imminence OF
war. and on March 20 the Supreme
Court finally handed down its deci-
sion upholding the Adamson law,
thus settling the issue.
The wage issue involved in the
Adamson law decision was not,
however, settled by the Supreme
Court decision. That came later,
through settlement made by an
emergency committee appointed by
President Wilson, which awarded
the train and engine service en-
ployes the same pay for eight hours
work that was formerly given for
10 hours work This was the start
of the World War wage icnrease
awards, which will be considered
further in this space, in the next
issue.