Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1943-12-31
Unions Reject
Roosevelt Plan
On Rail Wages
Incorporating Workers
Insist on Ruling
On Overtime
BY the Associated Press.

BY the Associated Press.
The IS incorporating railroad
unions today rejected President
Roosevelt's proposed basis for
arbitrating their wage dispute
and insisted they were entitled
to a ruling on overtime indie
pendent of every other consid-
Grafton.
A letter in reply to one from the
President yesterday said we do not
agree to arbitration on the basis
you propose
The unions said the sliding scale
of increases of to 10 cents which
they have accepted was allowed to
correct substandard conditions and
to preserve wage rate relationships
and asserted:
Certainly substandard wages do
not depend on rates paid for over
time. To now suggest the possible
! lty that the incorporating employees
should directly or indirectly pur-
chase time and one-half after 40
hours by giving up part Of the over
time or reducing the meager wage
rate adjustments granted by Sta
bilization Director Vinson would. in
our opinion, be a gross injustice and
do violence to the prevailing wage
determination policies
Increases and Overtime Jumped.
The President had outlined TO
them the scope Of the dispute as he
saw it. He Jumped together the
sliding scale increases and the over
time. but the unions contend the
sliding scale increases have been re-
moved from the arena Of arbitration
by their acceptance of them
The President said in his lettsr
yesterday the to 10 cents would
not be disturbed. but there was no
! assurance that overtime compensa-
ton would not thereby be reduced
/ The unions feel they are entitled
/ to s cents en- hour in lieu Of time and
one-half after 40 hours week. This
would make total increases gradual
ing from 10 to Is cents an hour,
instead of 4 to 10.
The President had advised tho
unions he planned to proceed to Z
decision on the basis he outlined
unless ne heard objections from the
unions or the carriers by 10 am.
today.
1t was understood the Presidents
terms for arbitration were acceptable
to the carriers.
Long Army Control Likely.
With continued darkened prospect,
Tor any early settlement of the wage
dispute, Army control OF the Gov
ernment-seized railroads for an in
definite time appeared likely.
The War Department said It
wanted to return the rail system
70 private management. but could
not because at least two unions
me hremen and conductors-in-
stead of cancelling strike orders
had merely postponed them for the
perloo OF Government operation.
The union chiefs, after Iashins
the administration in one state.
ment. asserted in reply to the War
Department that they had done an
they had agreed to do and were
empowered to do. They said a
strike voted by the membership
cannot be cancelled by the officer,
while the issue which precipitated
it is still alive.
Bungling Charged.
| The latent bitterness of the con.
troversy emerged in the statement
issued by D. B. Robertson of tbs
f1remen, H NJ. Fraser of the con-
ductors. and T. C. Cashen of the
sWltchmen, who accused the admin.
lstratlon Of bungling, delay. and OF
Straying from the processes of the
Railway Labor Act which they the
unions, said they "scrupulousIy fol.
lowed during the controversy.
The Presidents letter to the non.
operating unions said:
The granting of overtime or a
payment in lieu of overtime from
now on, as was done for the oper-
atlng group, naturally would not in
any event reduce what the nom
operating employees would be entitled
to under Judge Wilson'S order. But
If l am to arbitrate the question OF
what should be given for overtime
in the future, I could not be de-
barred in advance from considering
(See RAILROADS, Page AID