Evening Republican, Volume 23, Number 174, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 21 July 1920 — 600 MILLION R. R. WAGE BOOST [ARTICLE]

600 MILLION R. R. WAGE BOOST

labor chiefs disappointed —RAILROADS ACCEPT TERMS. Chicago, July 20.—Whether the spectre of a nation-wide railroad strike has been laid by the $600,000,000 wage increase granted today to more than 1,800,000 railroad employes tonight remained undecided. Brotherhood officials, after all day conferences, made no attempt to conceal their disappointment that they did not get all of the billion dollar increase they asked. The belief grew, however, in the absence of any talk of an immediate strike, that the union officials would submit the award, probably without recommendation, to a referendum of the men. A decision on this point was promised tomorrow by W. G. Lee, of Cleveland, grand president of the brotherhood of railway trainmqp. Road* Accept Award. /

Railroad representatives accepted the award philosophically, and immediately set about plans , for passing . the 4600,000,000 audition to their wage budget along to the ultimate consumer, in this case the man who pays the freight. Armed with reliable advance knowledge as to what the award would provide, the railroads had their figures ready. Judge R. M. Barton of the United States railway labor board, had hardly handed down the decision when E. T. Whiter, representing the more than four hundred railroads involved, announced that the roads would need an increase of 18 per cent in freight rates to meet the wage boost. The interstate commerce commission will be asked to spread the increase over both freight and passenger rates.

21* Per Cent Increase. The $600,(100,000 award represents a 21 per cent increase in the pay of the railroad men. For the first time in history the roads’ payrolls this year will pass the three billion mark. Mr. Whiter estimated the 1920 payrolls at $8,344,000,000 more than double the $1,468,576,394 paid in 1916. The board’s award was made retroactive to May 1, with provision that back pay for three months falls due August 1 when $150,100,000 is to be distributed in addition to, the regular pay. Yard service engineers, firemen and helpers, who received an hourly increase of 18 cents, will get the biggest back pay checks, their three months’ award totalling $110.16. Followed Set Rule. In its. decision the board followed the board general policy laid down by the Lain commission, appointed in 1918, that the man who received the least should get .the most. On a percentage basis the biggest increases went to the unskilled and semi-skilled labor, while the conduct ors, engineers -and shop the so-called “aristrocracy of the road,” received smaller percentages. The one notable exception to this general rule was the yard service men, whose 18 cents an hour increase topped all others.. Here the board explained the deciding factors were the extreme hazard to life and limb and the degree of skill required. .. ~ .

Endless strike Cycle. Today’s award if it is accepted by the men, will bring to a close, at least for the present, the board believes, the seemingly endless cycle of wage demands from the railway workers. Starting with the demands of 1916, which were met for a tone by na mage of the Adamson law, there has been an almost continuous procession of rail unions before various government boards and commissions, all demanding changes in pay. In February congress passed the transportation bill providing new machinery in the labor board to deal with the case, but it was not until the board was appointed on April 15 that the work was begun. Long Delay. “This long delay and succession of disappointments coupled with the pressure of a further rise in living costa, produced deep and not unreasonable dissatisfaction on the part of railroad employes who felt themselves called bn to make sacrifices as they believed, far beyond that of any other class,” the board said mt its report: “It is dear that the cost of living in the United States has increased approximately 100 per cent since 1914,” the decision added, in many instances the increases to emnloves herein fixed, together with

prior increases granted ““ c ® exceed this The cost and wages paid for similar kinds of work in other industries, however, differ as between different parts of the country. Yet standardization of pay for railroad employes bas proeeeded so far and posswses such*dvantage that it was deemed inexpedient and impracticable to establish new variations based on these varying conditions. Pmvida Decent Laving. “The board has endeavored to fix such wages as will provide.a living and secure for the children of

the wage earners opportunity for education and yet to remember that no class of Americans should receive preferred treatment and that the great mass of the people must ultimately pay a great part of the increased cost of operation entailed by the increases of wages determined herein.”

Analysis of Decision. An analysis of the decision shows that the $600,000,000 increases will go to the larger classes of employes in substantially the following basis: Railway clerks and freight handlers $123,000,000. Maintenance of way employes, $160,298,000. Engine and trainmen, $157,000,000. Railway shopmen, $139,237,000. The remainder will 'be divided among the station employes, yardmen and dispatchers, and marine employes on tugs, ferries and other railway owned harbor boats. Express Men Not Included. Nearly 75,000 employes of the American railway express company are not included within the provisions of today’s award. The board will open a hearing Thursday to pass on their demands. Only blacksmiths, electricians and other shop employes of the express company, some 2,500 in number, are affected by today’s decision.