Evening star., 1943-11-25
|WLB Panel Demands
Arnold Drivers Stay
On Job Until Ruling

Union Leader Assures
Quick Action. but Soys
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 MEM
bers to continue on the job until
final decision Is made by the WLB.
At the end of 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 Arlington County, z. 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 village has become a part of
Metropolitan Washington and that
wage rates should be integrated with
otiler 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..
Oilver said, because human nature
is such that 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 u
to IS hours.
Absenteeism Blamed.
F. j. Rice, Arnold council, con-
tended, however, that long hours
being worked by the companys driv-
ers was result of absenteeism. He
said Arnold drivers cid not take
jobs with the Capital Transit Co.
because they were not skilled
enough.
Declaring that the panel had been
called on to set precedent which
may affect the economic system
OF the entire country" Mr.. Rice
said it would be impossible for WLB
TO grant the l4-cent-per- -hour raise
demanded by the union without up-
setting the Little Steel formula.
MIR. Oliver said that the heart Of
the controversy was that manage
ment doesn't want to spend this
money to raise the wages of its oper-
ators. He pointed out that the
company has depreciation rate
90 per cent higher than other trans
portation companies and has boosted
the salaries of its general officers
100 per cent during recent years.
All of these increases are charged
as operating expenses, Mr.. Oliver
asserted.
Questions who Gets Money!"
II 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 or
the officers who also are stockhold.
ers in the company?
Mr.. Oliver asserted the unions
lnslstence on the arbitration clause
IN the contract with the company
was in keeping with national policy.
II arbitration methods break down.
ne asserted, it will be of great
harm. He asserted that in de-
manding overtime for drivers after
nine hours and for shopmen after
eight hours the union is following
national practice.
The company's demands that
clauses be inserted in the contract
covering methods of meeting war
time restrictions have no proper
place before the panel, he declared,
since these demands should be-
taken up during regular contract
negotiations. The panel. he went
on, Is charged only with hearing
testimony and making recommended
tons 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 resulting safety haz-
| ard, Mr.. Rice said the men only
get physically tired and can snap
out OF it after q cat nap" He said
they don't get mentally tired be
cause you don't get mentally tired
driving a bus"
He said that the company is $780,
600 In debt at present, and any wage
increases woulo have to be met by
applications for higher fare rates
IN the area served by the lines.
DR.. Paul Douglass, president of
American University and chairman
OF the panel, said decision should
be reached by the WLB by Decem-
Der at the earliest and probably
not later than December Is. He said
the panel would do all in its rouer