Evening star., 1943-11-20
Rail Workers Claim for Raise
Cited in Reply to Editorial
Their Earnings Soid to Log
Behind Those Of Other Workers
70 the Editor of The Star:

ss~S
TO the Editor Of The Star:
For several years the writer and
the chief executives Of the Is CO.
operating railway labor organiza-
tions, representing approximately l.
100000 employees of railway carriers
in the United States, have been
rather continuous readers of The
Evening Star, and have followed its
editorial, as we'll as news reports,
quite closely.
While frequently disagreeing with
the opinions expressed in your edi-
torials, it has been our belief that
the newspaper honestly tries to un-
derstand public problems and. to
interpret them correctly to its
readers tits because of this under
standing that we are writing to COM
ment on an editorial which appeared
in The Star on November II, rela-
tive to the railway labor situation.
That editorial is based on a grave
misconception of the railway labor
situation and gives a seriously erro-
neous Interpretation to the readers
The editorial rests on the belief,
first, that the Truman resolution
makes an exception OF railway labor:
second, that Judge Vinson has d.
rected rigid application Of the Is
per cent formula to the railway in
dustry, and third, that American
labor generally has been denied any
wage increase greater than the IS
per cent above the l941 level. Each
of these ideas is incorrect.
Railway workers have, Of course,
been separately considered. This
situation arose not from the Truman
resolution, but has developed during
period Of more than so years from
special governmental and public in
terest in the railway industry. The
result was that during the period
when wage increases were being
granted in other industries and wage
levels rising rapidly, the curbs i'm
posed by the Railway Labor Act had
prevented the adjustment of many
serious lnequit.es. Railway labor has
not asked to be released from the
many limitations on its economic
power contained in the Railway
Labor Act. We believe this leeisla-
ton should be respected by Govern
ment, as well as by management
and workers. The Railway Labor
Act will be needed after the war.
when the War Labor Board and
Judge Vinson will be only dim
memories.
Because of being placed in an ex-
ceptional position, the railway EN-
ployes on January l. l94l, were al
very great disadvantage compare j
with other American workers. Mary
individual groups of employees ii.
other industries had also Jagged be-
hind the general upward trend in
wages. 1t was the Government. pol
Icy not only to grant a Is per cen;
wage increase to compensate fol
changes in living costs after Jsnu.
ary /, 194l, but also to correct exist.
ing inequalities and inequities. Tha
policy did not, in fact, change unit
in the spring Of 1943 Between Jan.
uary !, l94l, and the effective datt
OF Executive Order No. 1928, million!
OF American workers had beer
granted the wage adjustments nee.
essary to correct determinations un.
der which they had been suffering
Because the railway workers hae
proceeded in an orderly way under
the exceptional method compulsor,
for them. they have had no in.
crease since the one effective ir
December, l94l. Prior to that, They
had had no wage increase since 1897
Thus, when the executive order
became effective in the midst of z
railway wage hearing, the railwa,
workers still suffered from the gros.
lnequlty in their wage rates that hac
developed by January /, I94l. anc
that had become still worse. 1t wa:
to correct, insofar as possible tha
gross inequity that the railway EN-.
ployeS were then asking for wage
adjustments.
The Government policy of cor.
rectlng~wage inequities has not beer
mere humanitarianism or exclusive
ly a devotion to justice. Wage in.
equities not only undermine labor
morale, but they also affect the fiov
OF labor into or out from individual
industries. Railway workers wer,
leaving the industry, and newl,
hired men were quitting as fast a.
they could be hired Throughout
1912. The industry and the Natiol
have been suffering severel, becaus,
OF The gross inequities in railwa,
wage rates. You need only to loo.
at The Star headlines or at the ac
cioent statistics of the Intel y at