Montana labor news., 1945-08-30
WAR LABOR BOARD
GIVES RULING
ON BUS OPERATORS

After fifteen months of hearings, argu-
ments, and controversies, the Tenth Re-
gional War Labor Board of San Fran
cisco on August oath released the de-
cision in the lengthy dispute case in
volving Pacific Greyhound Lines and
Divisions 1855. 1922, 1928 and 1925 Of
the Amalgamated Association of Street
Electric Railway and Motor Coach EN-
ployees of America. The decision, ef-
fecting nearly 5000 employees in the
states of California, oregon, Arizona,
Utah, New Mexico, Nevada and Texas
results in wage increases for drivers on
minimum per day runs varying in
amount from sOc to S1.2O per day. The
hourly guarantee for main line drivers
is increased from l21sc to zoe per hour.
All local service drivers receive an IN
crease OF - per hour or 60c per day
on the daily guarantee. The board also
increased the penalty for spread time
on split shift from Csc to SOC per hour.
I'm the case Of extra drivers on local
service this results in better than tine
and one-half payment for spreads in
excess of eleven hours.
In the case of station employees the
decision grants increases varying from
$500 per month to $4,000 per month in
the lower brackets, ana reclass,fies all
class &C" stations to class B" stations
which result in the class 'B" scale being
paid for CO. station employees. Only in
the case of mileage rates and he higher
salary brackets Of station employees cid
the board fail to order increases.
The decision was released at the urgent
request of Joint Council Members Robert
Hasselman, chairman, William A. North
way, adviser, Frank Scott Of division
1922, Gilbert Rule of Division 1923 and
Harold Oathes of Division 1855 after Fa-
cific Greyhound drivers had placed a
ban on the handling of standing pas
sengers until the long dispute was
brought to a close.
According to David Duncan of the
National Labor Bureau, which repre-
sented the union before the board, many
of the gains were made in working on
ditions rather than wage increases.
For example, said Mr., Duncan, extra
drivers now get full pay for %run-around
claims in addition to pay for all work
which they may perform after being run
around. Per diem expenses for drivers
held away from home have been in
creased from $3.50 per day to $500 per
day. Single meal allowances have been
increased from SOC to 80c per meal with
the allowance to start after the 18th
instead of the 10th hour. Drivers re-
quired to shuttle cars from station TO
garage during a lay-over receive pay
for the work whereas formerly they re-
ceive nothing. The union has the right
to check mileage wherever the mileage
on runs is in doubt. All drivers and
station employees are to receive double
time for work on the seventh dav Of
any regularly scheduled work week. Pay
ment for stand time service has been
increased from Csc to Use per hour and
the minimum guarantee for extra oper-
ators in main line service has been in
creased from $3.50 to $3.50 per day"
one of the most important factors in
the boards order is provision that
should the federal speed regulations
change. new mileage rates must be ar
rived at by negotiation between the par
ties. Under the old contract, mileage
rates were subject to an eight per cent
decrease when the federal limitation on
driving speed was lifted. The boards
order prevents this automatic decrease
and gives the union opportunity to state
its case for retention OF the eight per-
cent.
Insofar as wages are concerned the ef-
fective date is July 81, 1914. Total
retroactive payments for drivers and sta
ton employees have been roughly esti-
mated by Union officials at approximate
Iy 5000, 100000. Although the contract
is to run until June 80. 1916, the boards