Evening star., 1949-11-18
Capital Transit
Asks End Of PAID
Lunch Periods
Practice Is Costing
$308, 900 q Year,
Arbitrutors Told


The Capital Transit Co. told an
arbitration board today that the
practice of paying for 20-min-
ute lunch period for bus and
streetcar operators costs the
company $s0s.O00 a year.
The company is seeking to elm.
mate from the contract the pro-
vision for pay for the lunch period.
Hawley s. Simpson, presenting
the coihpany's case to the arbitra-
tion board, argued that paid lunch
periods are not In accord with
general practice in the industry.
The practice here, however, goes
back to 1917.
Mr.. Simpson asserted that while
the requested change would save
money for the company, work as
signments would mean that the
employees would get practically
the same pay. by eliminating
pay for the lunch period we would
get more work for our money"
Mr.. Simpson said.
Union Pleas Opposed.
The company also began pre-
senting evidence to the flve-man
arbitration board at the Hamilton
Hotel in opposition to the union
request for three-week vacations
after 10 years employment instead
of after Is years as at present.
This is one of the benefits asked
by the union in addition to q pay
increase of IS cents an hour for
the 4,300 employees. All Of the dif-
ferenceS between the company and
the union are being arbitrated by
the board.
The company presented in evi-
dence an excerpt from an award
by a, statutory board Of arbitra-
tion in a transit case in New Jer-
sey. O. David Zimring, who is the
unions member of the arbitration
board here, appeared for the EN-
ployes' union In the New Jersey
case.
Industry Practice Cited.
The excerpt which the company
presented quoted MIR. zimring as
conceding that there is substan-1
TALLY no practice IN the transit
industry Of three weeks vacation
after 10 years Of service" and
that it appears that only two COM
panies make such provision.
The company also was to present.
evidence today IN opposition to the
employees demands In connection
with sick leave and holidays.
The union is asking for. IL days
sick leave a year, instead of theI
present seven. and that employcsI
be allowed to accumulate up stoi
IS days of sick leave instead Of
80, as at present. /
s Holidays Asked.
The employees are asking also
for eight holidays with pay a
year. None is given now. An-
other union demand the COM
pany was to counter today would
reduce the probationary period
for new employees from 90 to 80
days.
The company is nearing the
end Of it's case before the five
man board which is arbitrating |
the dispute over q new union
contract.
Testimony was offered by the
company yesterday that any SUBJ
stantial reductions in service
would have to be made by elimi-
mating transit lines rather than by
curtailing service on existing lines.
Opposing union demands for
changes in working conditions.
Isaac B. Goad, director Of sched-
. ules and traffic, testified the COM
pany now is operating at about
the minimum standards allowed
by the Public Utilities Commis-
sion.
Passenger Space Cited.
The company still is operating
under wartime standards Of serv-
ice. Mr.. Goad said. This allows
4 square feet for a standing pas
senger on a -streetcar as against
Z square feet before the war. The
allowance on a bus, unchanged
during the war, is between 2A
and 3 square feet, Mr.. Goad said.
Samuel e. Emmons. general
manager. testified in connection
with the unions request for in
creases in report and turn-in time.
now 10 minutes In each case, to
Is minutes. He said a time study
showed that q reporting operator
can draw his change, tokens and
other supplies, check them. partly
fill out his manifest. inspect his
vehicle and do other preliminaries
In IN minutes.
Studies Of the turn-in routine,
he testified, showed that q man
could complete his work and leave
q