Evening star., 1944-01-19
Arnold Drivers
Call Meeting on
WLBPay Ruling
Capitol Transit
And A., B. & W. Are
Refused Increases

The $50 employees of the Arnold
operated Bus Line will meet to-
morrow in the Ballston Firehouse
to consider the War Labor Board
decision yesterday granting them a
7-cent-an-hour wage increase
cents less than the unions demand.
Meanwhile, union officials at the
Capital Transit Co. and the Alex
andria, Bancroft & Washington
Transportation Co. could not be
reached for comment on the WLB's
denial of their requests for Scent
hourly wage increases. Approx
mately 1000 workers at the two bus
lines are affected.
Declaring that he doesn't think
very much" of the boards decision,
o. B. Hiner, president of the Arnold
local union, said the matter would
be placed before union members at
their meeting at IL am. tomorrow.
While Mr.. Hiner said he could not
predict what action the union would
take, he added that the men with
whom he talked had indicated they
would reject the boards decision.
Some A., B. & w. Men Indignant.
Some of the drivers on the A., B.
& w. line were reported to be 'in-
dignant" over the boards action
and were talking of tying up the
line" one of the older drivers said.
Anything can happen" he as
serted, with the type of drivers We
have today. I wouldn't venture a
guess as to whether there will be a
strike or not-I certainly hope there
won't be one"
He explained that the drivers re-
cessed their last meeting instead
of adjourning it. This means that
they can be called into continuous
session at any time. No notice has
been received concerning resump-
ton of the meeting, however.
In its decision the WLB also re-
quested the three bus companies to
draw up proposed bonus system as
compensation for abnormal work
and as an incentive to meet the
present emergency
Raises Held Not Justified.
In rejecting company-union agree.
ments for scent increases for en-
ployes of the Capital Transit Co.
and the A. B. G. W., the board point
ed out that neither the companies
nor the unions made any showing
that the increases we're justified
under the age-stabilizing program.
Present wage rates for operating
employees Of the two firms are 95
cents an hour for Capital Transit
Co. workers and 80 cents an hour
for A., B. g. W. employees. The in
crease granted employees of the Ar
nold-operated line will bring their
wages up to 88 cents an hour.
The board also explained that on
August 7, l943. it approved vacation
and overtime pay provisions of the
Capital Transit Co. company-union
agreement.
/ In the A. B. g. w. agreement the
! board approved a provision calling
/ for a reduction in the progression
schedule from tWo-year period to
one year required to reach full rate.
| The salary schedule for operating
employees of the A. B. & w. under
the new schedule will be rs cents an
hour for The first six months, IS for
the second six months and 90 cents
after one year.
Arnold Boost Retroactive.
Although the Arnold-operated
line pay increase was approved
unanimously by tAe board, the wage
boosts sought by employees of the
other two bus lines were denied by
an 8-to-4 vote. with labor members
of the board voting for the increase
In approving the increase for en-
ployes of the Arnold bus line, which
was made retroactive to May II,
the board explained that its action
was taken ito restore the differen-
tial between their salaries and those
of AB&W employees as they exist
ed in 1910 and to compensate them
for an increased work load"
The board also unanimously ap-
proved time-and-a-half pay for
Arnold workers after nine hours
platform time or after IA hours
spread time, whichever is greater.
A special WLB panel. which had
been appointed to arbitrate the wage
dispute between Arnold officials and
the drivers, after the latter went out
on one-day strike November 19,
recommended a 9-cent hourly wage
increase. B. J. Shave, labor menu
ber of the panel, dissented, recon-
mending 12-cent increase.
Other members of the panel we're
DR.. Paul Douglass, president Of
American University. representing
the public. and John Twohy, Nor