Evening star., 1943-12-30
Wage Controversies
With 18 Rail Unions
Remain Unsettled
Troinmen and Engineers
Sign Contract Providing
o-Cents-un-Hour Raise
BY the Associated Press.

ps ttle AoSUCldteC fTeSS.
With the Army at the throttle
the Nations railroad system was
rid of strike threat today, but
not Of the wage controversy that
provoked it.
Two brotherhoods, the trainmen
and the engineers, executed agree
ments with the carriers, but the de-
mands of the 18 other railroad
remain unsettled. The
case of the Is incorporating unions,
in fact, seemed more tightly knotted
than ever.
Chiefs of three operating unions
conductors, flremen and switchmen
told 1t. Gen. Brehon B. Somervell
yesterday they would not challenge
the Government. but they delayed
sending strike cancellation orders
to their chairmen in the field until
9 pm, in order to include in the
message some information of the
wage settlement The order finally
was sent without such information
because, the union chiefs said Gov
ernment spokesmen avoided a COM
mitment.
Unions Fear Wage Freeze.
The contracts signed by the train
men and the engineers provided for
an increase of cents an hour and a
weeks vacation Five cents of that
amount was awarded by President
Roosevelt, acting as arbitrator, as
compensation for overtime and
away-from-home expenses.
Similar terms were reported avail
able to the firemen, conductors and
switchmen, but the chiefs of these
unions feared acceptance would
mean wage freeze for the duration
Of the war.
This fear was grounded on a para
graph in the Presidents award
which said, L further determine
that the increases in pay above re-
cited shall be paid until proclama-
ton by the President or declaration
by the Congress of the cessation of
hostilities, and that the agreement
now arrived at in time of war shall
be without prejudice to rights of
either party at the expiration of the
date above stated to seek a change
in the agreement which is now
made"
Alvanley Johnston, chief of the
expressed the opinion
however, that the agreement he
executed may be opened on 80 DAYS
notice except with respect to the
overtime, expenses and vacation
provisions.
"NonOp" Case Summarized.
Here is how the "nonop" case
stood: When these Is unions, repre-
senting more than a million office
shop and track workers, Cancelled
their strike order Monday they sent
letter to Mr.. Roosevelt accepting
the sliding scale increases of 4 to 10
cents approved by Sterilization Di.
rector Vinson and said they woulc
accept the Presidents arbitration OF
their overtime demands.
In their opinion, this left only
the overtime issue for arbitration
The railroads do not agree and
want the to 10 cents and the
overtime ruled on as one issue
That would tend to cut down the
total amount of the award.
Mr.. Roosevelt committed him.
self a few months ago to overtime
compensation for railroad workers
whose basic week is 48 hours, com
pared with 40 hours in interstate
commerce generally. If the mon
ops" can get 5 cents for overtime
the amount the President gave the
engineers and trainmen-on top OF
the sliding scale. the aggregate in
creases will range from 9 to Is cents
an hour.
Figures on Earnings.
The Association of American Rail-
roads estimated that the 9 cents
Cor u cents day. awarded tc
the trainmen and engineers would
add an average of $54O a week
to the earnings of those on the
road (on mileage basis, and $431
week to those who work in the
yard
The association said the average
annual earnings in 1912 ranged
from $2,253 for switch tenders tc
$4,848 for road freight engineers
The latter group paid their owr
expenses away from home, esti.
mated at $3.50 or more a year.
Among the incorporating EN-.
ployes, the average hourly earning.
as of October, 1912, were 1873 cent.
an hour. About half were receiv.
ing less than 10 cents an hour.