The potters herald. [volume] (East Liverpool, Ohio) 1899-1982, 1943-12-30
Rail Unions Call off Strike:
Wage Settlement Up ToFDR.
President To Arbitrute The
Remaining Issues That
Threaten Tieup

Washington, d. G. The railroad
unions averted dangerous nation
wide transportation tieup by rescind-
ing strike call set for Dec. 80 and
submitting their wage disputes to
President Roosevelt for final arbitra-
ton.
The log jam was broken when the
ID incorporating unions, affiliated with
the American Federation of Labor,
agreed to a peaceful settlement of the
controversy. Thus the AFL record of
not authorizing single major strike
in the course of the war was kept in
tact.
The President ordered the Army to
take over the railroads when it ap-
peared that strike was inevitable
At that time two of the operating
unions and all of the incorporating
groups had already called off the walk
out, but the remaining three operating
unions had not yet acted. They We're
expected to follow the example of the
other unions and it was believed the
President would thereupon return the
roads to private management.
An inkling of the terms of settlement
came from the White House announce
ment of the Presidents award to the
members of the engineers and train
mems unions. He decided they should
get an increase of ) cents an hour in
lieu of overtime claims, plus one week $
vacation with pay. This is in addition
to previous cents an hour wage
increase.
1t is expected that the incorporating
unions also will be awarded 5 cents
an hour and a weeks vacation with
pay. This would be in addition to slid
ing scale wage increases of from to
10 cents an hour for all members ap-
proved by Economic Sterilization Di-
rector VinsOn, retroactive to Feb. 1.
The White House said there ap-
peared to be some difference of opinion
between the unions and the carriers
as to the scope of the questions to be
arbitrated by the President, but it is
believed this misunderstanding will be
promptly ironed out.
The incorporating unions notified the
President of their acceptance of arbi-
tration in the following letter:
"On Nov. 3, Hon. Fred Nj. Vinson,
Director of Economic Sterilization,
approved Il sliding scale of wage adj
juStmentS for the incorporating group
and provided these increases should be-
come effective on Nov. 10. We pro-
tested against these increases because
we did not feel they were sufficient to
meet the problem.
I'VE have now concluded to abandon
any further objections to Judge Vim
sons order making these increases eff
fective retroactive to Feb. 1, 1913.
However, in view of recent offers
by the railroads to grant to the Oper-
ating group the benefits of the Fair
Labor Standards Act in respect to
overtime for the sixth day in any work
week, we feel that the equities of the
situation require that this conSidera-
tion be extended to the incorporating
group.
while we prefer the benefits of this
overtime be distributed in IA pro rata
amount to all employees, if that is not
agreeable to you we will accept the
literal application of the Fair Labor
Standards Act provisions on overtime.
''TherefOre, there is no longer any
dispute over the amount of wage in
crease to be granted to our group The
only remaining question in dispute is
shall the incorporating group receive
the benefits of overtime after forty
hours per week offered to the Operat-
ing group We agree to leave decision
on this single question in dispute to
the President of the United States and
agree to accept the decision.
Having with your assistance, ac-
commodated our immediate difficulties.
we are withdrawing approval hereto
fore granted to the employees to stop
work at 6 Il. III. on Dec. 30, 1913.
I'VE thank you for your assistance
in this disposition of our difficulties"
Signers were George Nj. Harrison.
J. J. Duffy, J. A. Franklin, Felix II.
Knight, V. ID. Gardner S. j. Hogan,
James J. Delaney, George Wright,
Roy Horn, e. e. NIilliman, A. Il. Lyon,
Edward FIOre, l. Nj. Wicklein, Joseph
=. Ryan, II. j. Carr and b. Nj. Jewell.