Evening star., 1943-11-25

Arnold Drivers Stay
On Job Until Ruling
Union Leader Assures
Quick Action, but Says
Operations Must Continue
A special War Labor Board panel
which had under consideration to-
day evidence in a dispute between
the Arnold-Operated Bus Line and
Local 1919 OF the AFL Amalgamated
Association of Street, Electric Rail-
way and Motor Coach Employees OF
America, admonished union men,
bers to continue on the job until
flnal decision is made by the WLB
At the end of a two-day hearing
last night in which testimony by the
union and management was pre-
sented in the wage dispute that tied
up transportation facilities last Fri
day In darlington County, E. J. Shave
panel member representing labor
assured the union that the panel
will do all it can to expedite a de-
cision.
Union heads" he said, must
keep the men satisfied and on the
Job until decision is handed down
by the board. Truce or no truce
the transportation system must con-
tinue to operate"
Refers to To-Day Truce.
Mr.. Shave referred to a Today
truce period agreed on by the union
when they returned to work last
Saturday. The period was to allow
settlement of the dispute.
Stating that the zeal Issue in the
dispute is the wage question, Eli
l.. Oliver, union representative, told
the panel in his summary Of the
evidence presented by the union that
a. community which Is years ago
was a village has become a part of
Metropolitan Washington and that
wage rates should be integrated with
other companies in the area.
He said the wage discrepancy be-
tween the Arnold Lines and the
Capital Transit Co. is resulting in
labor shortage at the Arnold Lines.
This shortage is forcing long hours
on Arnold drivers. he added.
Arnold cannot keep drivers" Mr.
Oliver said, because human nature
is such that a man looking for a
job will take the one offering the
most pay. Arnold cannot get the
men it needs and thus its drivers
must work weeks ranging from y
to IS hours.
Absenteeism Blamed,
F. j. Rice, Arnold council, con-
tended, however, that long hours
being worked by the company's driv-
ers was a result of absenteeism. He
said Arnold drivers did not take
jobs with the Capital Transit Co.
because they were not skilled
enough.
Declaring that the panel had been
called on to set a precedent which
may affect the economic system
OF the entire country" Mr.. Rice
said 1t would be impossible for WLB
to grant the 14-cent-per-hour raise
demanded by the union without up
setting the Little Steel formula.
Mr.. Oliver said that the heart of
the controversy was that manage
ment doesn't want to spend the
money to raise the wages of its oper-
ators.' He pointed out that the
company has a depreciation rate
30 per cent higher than other trans
portatlon companies and has boosted
the salaries of its general officers
l50 per cent during recent years.
All OF these increases are charged
as operating expenses, Mr.. Oliver
asserted.
Questions who Gets Money!"
IF general officers salaries had
been increased only as much as
wages" Mr.. Oliver said, then the
company would have an estimated
$4,000 to meet the unions wage
demands. The question is-who is
to get the money, the employees OF
the officers who also are stockhold-
ers in the company?
Mr.. Oliver asserted the union,
1nsistence on the arbitration clause
in the contract with the compan,
was in keeping with national policy
If arbitration methods break down
he asserted, it will be of great
harm. He asserted that in de.
manding overtime for drivers afte,
nine hours and for shopmen afte,
eight hours the union Is following
national practice.
The company's demands tha,
clauses be inserted in the contract
covering methods of meeting war.
time restrictions have no prope,
place before the panel, he declared
since these demands should bt
taken up during regular contract
negotiations. The panel, he went
on, is charged only with hearing
testimony and making recommends
tions concerning those clauses in
the contract.
Asserts Company in Debt.
In refuting Mr.. divers charges
that long hours being worked by
Arnold drivers resulted in undue
fatigue and a resulting safety haz-
ard, Mr.. Rice said the men "only
get physically tired and can snap
out OF it after cat nap" He said
they don't get mentally tired 'be-
cause you don't get mentally tired
driving bus"
He said that the company is $4O0,-
900 in debt at present, and any wage