Evening star., 1950-12-31
) Other Rail Unions
May Join Engineers
In Rejecting Pay Pact

Three other big operating rail
unions probably will follow the
lead of the Locomotive Engineers
in rejecting the three-year rail-
road peace" pact worked out in
lengthy White House negotiations
10 days ago. it was learned last
night.
The three unions are the Order
Of Railway Conductors, the Fire
men and Enginemen and the
Brotherhood of Railroad Train
men. Together with the Engineers
these are the unions whose
members actually run the trains
both over the road and in the rail
terminals. The four unions have a
combined membership of 100000.
Officials of the three unions are
expressing belated dissatisfaction
over terms of the tentative agree
ment which was supposed to as
sure labor peace on the Nations
Class l carriers during the next
three years.
Accepted Dec. 21.
The presidents Of all four
unions together with rail manage
ment negotiators had initiated ac-
ceptance of the wage-hour settle
ment at the White House Deem
ber 81. The settlement of the %
month-old strike-studded dispute
was hammered out after 25 hours
Of almost continuous argument by
John r. Steelman, the assistant to
President Truman.
But the approval of the "chiefs"
was subject to ratification by
the general chairmen Executive
boards) of each union. Union Of
ficials said that disapproval of
new wage terms by the road serv-
ice train personnel made it almost
certain that all four unions would
send their negotiators back here
to get a better contract.
The general chairmen of the
Engineers rejected the contract
Friday. The boards of the Train
men and Firemen will meet to
consider the peace pact on Thurs
day in Cleveland. The Conductors
will not hold their meeting until
January Z.
Pay Tied to Living Cost.
In the White House pact, the
approximately 10000 workers
employed in rail terminals re-
ceived, among other things, a |
wage increase of Is cents an hour.
Another 10000 train operators in
road service got an increase of
10 cents an hour. In addition the
pay of both classes was tied to
the cost of living. That meant
that the wages of the workers
would be adjusted every three
months in accordance with the
movement on the Government
living cost thermometer.
Rail union officials said that the
terms Of the agreement for the
yard or terminal employees was
generally acceptable. But the men
who run the trains over the roads
feel that they were sighted. That |
probably will result in rejection
of the entire three-year pact, the
officials added.
Aside from dissatisfaction over
pay of the road service men, the
officials said, that there was dis
approval of signing an agreement
that would preclude for three
years initiation Of any new wage
Railroads Under United States.
The probable refusal of the
unions to go along with the con-
tract worked out by their presi-
dents means that the railroads
will not be returned to private
operation any time in the near
future. The Government seized
the roads August 26 to avert an
earlier strike, and the Army has
technically operated them since |
that time.
The unions had demanded for
yard service personnel a 40-hour
work week at 48 hours pay
equivalent of a 31-cents per hour
raise. They had asked for the
road service employees a Sub
Stantiar" wage hike.